In Praise of Shadows
by DirtyFeet
Summary: Shadow: 1. v. envelop in shadow, cast a shadow over; 2. v. follow and observe (someone) closely and typically secretly; 3. n. an inseparable attendant or companion.
1. The Means of Correct Training

**Warning:** This story contains graphic violence, mature content, and psychological manipulation. Before reading, please keep in mind that the plot and characters of this story should not be taken as ideals for relationships or lifestyles.

* * *

...

...

" _The school building was to be a mechanism for training… The school became a sort of apparatus of uninterrupted examination that duplicated along its entire length the operation of teaching. It became less and less a question of jousts in which pupils pitched their forces against one another and increasingly a perpetual comparison of each and all that made it possible both to measure and to judge"_ (Foucault & Sheridan, 2012, pg. 172-173).

...

...

 **Ch. 1: The Means of Correct Training**

 **...**

 _Spring 2113._

...

On the outskirts of Tokyo stood an all-girls school - one of the last of its kind in Japan. In the green pastures of outer Tokyo, pristine white brick emerged, clad with pale red shingles and glistening windows. Along the sculpted paths grew flickering cherry trees. Their pink and white blossoms floated in the wind like the setting of a romantic film. Girls in clean uniforms dotted the paths and filled the spring afternoon with laughter and gossip.

This school was called Sakurashimo Gakuen, or - as the students affectionately called it - "Oso Academy." It was the sort of place where young girls lived out the virtues of chastity and grace - a place where girls were groomed and polished into what was called a "lady." It was a place that should have attracted teachers with pure intentions, which is exactly why Makishima Shogo decided to take up residence at this school.

Makishima Shogo - "Shibata Yukimori" - thought all of this to himself as he walked through the large hallways. The windows glowed with the warm spring light, glinting off of the tiles and the bright faces of his pupils. A soft breeze rustled in through the windows, bringing a few blossoms into the hallway. Makishima caught one between his fingers and crushed into his fist.

He smiled as a pair of girls walked by, beaming.

"Good afternoon, Shibata-sensei," one greeted with a slight blush. He bowed his head slightly to them.

"Ladies," he greeted. He heard them giggle to themselves as he walked away. It was an innocent sound.

If he had been just a slightly more selfish man, he thought to himself, he'd have ruined every piece of them he could grab.

'Shibata-sensei' had been the art teacher at Oso Academy for nearly five years now. It was a rather long tenure for most young instructors and for a man of his recreational activities, but he'd fallen into the rhythm here easily. The greenery here almost seemed to be natural compared to the artificial nature in Tokyo proper, and the breeze was unhindered. Sometimes Makishima thought to himself that he might stay at Oso Academy forever as a genuine art teacher. It was a rather romantic thought.

Walking down the immaculate stairs, Makishima breathed in the light that the stained glass painted red, blue, and green. It really was a beautiful day - the perfect day for painting. He thought of his student Rikako's new art piece and suddenly had the feeling that something exciting was about to happen.

Makishima stopped as he got to the ground floor. Outside was parked a sleek black car that looked out of place among the young women and the floating flowers. Two people emerged from the car, earning looks from the various students and teachers. Makishima pulled himself around the corner to hide his face.

A man in his late 20s with glasses and a tall young woman with sleek black hair pulled back emerged like ink against pristine paper. The man led with the woman following. Her eyes were focused but shuttered. He knew without asking that she was an Enforcer from the Ministry of Welfare's Public Safety Bureau, which meant the man must be an Inspector. One of the history teachers - Chiba-sensei - appeared next to him with a worried expression. He braced himself for the nagging she inevitably always brought.

"The police?" murmured Chiba. "Do you know what's going on?"

"I'm not sure," said 'Shibata.' "Perhaps the principal would know."

"Why isn't that woman wearing a MWPSB uniform? Is she not an officer?" asked Chiba.

"She's an Enforcer," said Shibata. Chiba looked at him with confusion, and he elaborated, "Enforcers are latent criminals whose skills are in tracking down and apprehending active criminals. They typically work in the field under the direct authority of the Inspectors. The reason she isn't wearing a uniform is probably to delineate the difference."

To his delight, Chiba looked horrified.

"Latent criminals!" she cried. "But- Shouldn't they- how can they be allowed to walk in the open?" Makishima smiled blandly.

"They always have the Inspector with them, and really, even if they did run off, where would they go?" he reasoned.

This seemed to calm Chiba down slightly so that she had the energy to now be indignant. She clicked her tongue.

"I don't like having them here. They're just going to raise our students' coefficients!" sniffed Chiba. Makishima smiled coolly and thought to himself that would be an unexpected bit of luck. It seemed his feeling from before was spot-on. An older man emerged from his office frowning to see the Vice Principal already talking to the officers.

"Principal!" cried Chiba. Shibata winced at her shrieking voice. He wondered if he could convince Rikako to make the nagging teacher her next project.

"Yes, Chiba-sensei?" asked the principal in a calming voice.

"Principal, what is happening? Why are the police here?" she asked quickly.

"There has been an unfortunate crime downtown," said the principal in a grave voice. "It has some similarities to the tragic case from a few years ago, so they came to ask some questions regarding that individual who will not be named."

"You don't mean... Is Touma-sensei...?" she gasped.

"No. This is probably the work of a copycat. The police will ask some questions and then be on their way. Rest assured there will be no police running around the school and contaminating our students' Hues!"

The two continued to gossip in a way that reminded 'Shibata' of clucking hens. He waited another moment and then quietly excused himself from their insipid conversation to return to his classroom. With a great sigh of relief as he closed the door behind him, Shibata dropped the bland expression from his face. A tall girl with short dark hair sat on the desk directly in front of his at the front of the room.

"Can't get enough of the police, can they?" asked the girl casually. Shibata smiled wryly and walked over his desk.

"Fools are always drawn to fools," said Shibata, straightening a stack of papers. "You're being awfully risky today, coming out like that."

The girl grinned and sat back in her chair in a very unladylike posture. She lifted her chin as Shibata came around to the front of his desk and sat on the edge.

"I wanted to see all the fuss," came a deep, masculine voice from the girl. Her face glitched for a moment to reveal short dark hair and a sharp jaw, but then the girl's face settled again.

"Fools are always drawn to fools," repeated Shibata. The 'girl' grinned even wider.

"I guess that's why you choose to stay here, eh, Makishima-san?" she drawled.

This time, the white-haired man smirked. He lean ed casually back onto his hands. Makishima breathed in the orange sun.

"I get the feeling I'll move on soon enough," said Makishima. "Really though, why are you here?"

The girl smiled and then stood. Pulling a tablet from her bag, she handed it to Makishima and clicked a button. It lit up to show a live feed. From the position, it looked to be from a police drone. Officers milled about the scene - a public park.

Like the Oso Academy grounds, the park was in full bloom. Blossoms fluttered in the breeze before being crush underfoot by people rushing by. The footage was silent, but he could hear the shouting commands clearly in his mind. Makishima smiled as he saw the focal point of this scene - a dry fountain. At the bottom stood a tall sculpture.

Shibata smiled as he saw the work of art. Atop the fountain was a cross of recycled steel bars. Suspended from it was the naked form of a slender young woman, though her head rested inside a cavity carved into her stomach. A large wreath of flowers encircled her. She stared out blankly, unseeing, into the park.

As art was wont to do, it clearly left a strong impression on everyone around. Police either hurried frantically or stood awestruck. Makishima's eyes narrowed in on the pair of officers in the fountain analyzing the sculpture.

They were a tall man with black hair and dark suit and a young woman with short brown hair and a MWPSB jacket. Makishima zoomed in on these two. Another Enforcer - the man definitely had the look of a latent criminal. There was always an unnameable quality in a criminal's expressions that Makishima could spot from miles away.

"They finally found it," said the girl. "About time," she added with a wry smile. Makishima nodded.

"What do you think of this one?" asked Makishima.

"The sculpture? I don't know. I honestly don't have much of an eye for this sort of stuff," admitted the girl.

"Have you seen her father's work?"

"Oryo's? No, I'm not familiar."

"He was a great artist - one of the best of the past twenty years in my opinion. He is now in a therapy-induced coma in a hospice nearby," explained Makishima. "His work was similar in style, but Oryo-kun hasn't quite grasped the depth of her fatner's work yet."

"Why is he in a coma?"

"Complacency," said Makishima. The girl raised an eyebrow. "With the rise of the Sibyl System, he saw the end of human suffering. He bought into the artificial comfort the new technology provided, but the human brain needs stress to function. Without it, it becomes a vegetable - alive but just barely. That's the state he's in now."

The girl nodded thoughtfully, thinking over this. Makishima's eyes narrowed as he continued watching the park scene. His focus remained on the Enforcer in the fountain.

"Who is that man over there - the Enforcer?" he asked, pointing at the dark-haired man by the statue. His gaze was focused and hard on the dismembered girl. Makishima felt a thrum of excitement in his gut.

"I can find out," said the girl, once again in the masculine voice. "Why do you ask?"

"He looks familiar. I believe I've crossed paths with him before," said Makishima.

"Oh? What a rarity," said the girl with a grin.

"Indeed," said Makishima, smiling. "Let's see if he's worth playing with."

"Are you interested in the woman, too?" asked the girl.

"Hmm… pull up her information as well, I suppose. Couldn't hurt. She looks new," said Makishima. He watched with an amused smile as the police began pulling the sculpture down from the fountain. In the evening sun, the brown hair of the mutilated girl glinted gold and red. Her eyes - now empty - seemed to absorb the dying day.

...

...

Somewhere in Tokyo the same video played in a dark apartment. A pair of eyes watched the two officers discuss the crime scene, though their voices could not be heard. The man's eyes lingered on the sculpture and spoke in a quiet way to his partner. Something about him seemed familiar.

The video was paused and then rewound. The same scene played again.

There was a click. The video zoomed in, blurry but sufficient. The cursor focused on the image of the young officers. Eyes scanned over the young woman's face. A still was taken of both faces and then put into the database search engine.

Two files popped up. One was the young woman:

 _Name: Tsunemori Akane_

 _Rank: Inspector_

 _Sex: Female_

 _Date of Birth: April 1, 2092_

 _Height: 163 cm_

 _Weight: 54 kg_

 _Employed: November 2112_

Cool eyes narrowed and traced over the young woman's face. Her hair was short and brown. Her eyes were also brown. She was attractive in a generic way perhaps. The cursor lost interest and then slid to the next file. They moved quickly and maximize the information with eagerness.

 _Kogami Shinya_ was typed beneath the photo of the young man with black hair. The data was memorized quickly: male, 28 years old, 180 cm, 77 kg…

A smile appeared.

 _Enforcer_.

Tsunemori was forgotten as files regarding Enforcer Kogami opened one after the other. His cool expression filled the screen again and again.

* * *

 **A/N:** If you're a new reader, welcome. If you've been following me for a while, thank you for coming back. I'm writing this and **Fish Who Swim Upstream** simultaneously, so my updates won't be as regular as my previous stories. If you're looking for something happy, that'd be the better choice. This is gonna get dark.

 **Disclaimer:** I own no rights to _Psycho-Pass_ _._ This story is written as a piece of fanwork without profit or claims.

...

 **Notes:**

For those of you who aren't familiar with the source material (I'm looking at you, **missalex3030** ), in this future, every person has a Crime Coefficient, which is also represented by a color. This coefficient predicts how likely one is to commit a crime. People's natural abilities and tendencies are judged by what's called the Sibyl System, which now governs Japan and has nearly eradicated crime. People whose coefficients rise too high are either subjected to therapy or imprisonment, depending on how high it goes. Those who are imprisoned are called "latent criminals," and some, depending on their abilities, are given the opportunity to work as Enforcers to help apprehend other criminals. Kunizuka Yayoi from this chapter is one of those.

I use the traditional way of naming which is [Last Name, First Name].

"- _san_ ": like "sir" or "ma'am," though this is a lacking translation. It is the default honorific, even for people who are close, showing a sign of respect. Even spouses refer to each other with this honorific. Not using an honorific at all signifies very close familiarity.

The school "Sakurashimo Gakuen" (桜霜学園) can also be read as おうそうがくえん, meaning "Oso Gakuen."

...

 **Sources:**

Foucault, M., & Sheridan, A. (2012). _Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison_. New York, NY: Vintage.

Funimation. (2016, September 15). _PSYCHO-PASS Episode 6: Return of the Psychotic Prince_ [Video file]. Retrieved from psycho-pass/episode-6-return-of-the-psychotic-prince-719845

Funimation. (2016, September 15). _PSYCHO-PASS Episode 7: Symbolism of Bletilla Striata_ [Video file]. Retrieved from psycho-pass/episode-7-symbolism-of-bletilla-striata-719849


	2. Illegalities & Delinquency

**...**

 **...**

"The prison cannot fail to produce delinquents. It does so by the very type of existence that it imposes on its inmates: whether they are isolated in cells or whether they are given useless work, for which they will find no employment, it is, in any case, not 'to think of man in society; it is to create an unnatural, useless and dangerous existence'" (Foucault & Sheridan, 2012, pg. 266).

...

...

 **2.** **Illegalities and Delinquency**

Tsunemori Akane had been taken by surprise multiple times a day since her first day at the Minster of Welfare's Public Safety Bureau. She'd been shocked by the existence of Enforcers and even more horrified by the brutal means they used to apprehend criminals. All of these things compounded into a deep state of anxiety that wrestled in her gut, for at the end of the day when they went home to their quarters - their prison cells - they seemed to be completely normal people.

She hated that Inspector Ginoza called them "hunting dogs," and yet the more she thought about it, the more accurate that name seemed.

Akane glanced up at the Enforcer beside her - the most troubling of them all - and thought to herself that he was most like a dog. No, she thought, he was more like a wolf.

" _Don't let him out of your sight_ ," Ginoza had hissed. A part of Akane didn't like the idea of looking down on her co-workers in such a way. Another part knew Kogami was someone who needed to be watched. She wished she knew if it were to be with awe or suspicion.

It was warm - almost too warm in her suit - as she walked from the black car to the large building before them. It was of heavy concrete - an old brutalist building from the pre-Sibyl days. She thought to herself that it must have been very expensive to adapt it for the technology that had developed for its new purposes.

As she stepped inside, she realized just how it had been adjusted - the interior was completely gutted and renovated. Clinical white tiles glinted in the clean light. The walls were also startlingly white. It appeared that the only remaining part of the original building was the facade.

"We'll have to check in at the desk," came a gruff voice from the other side of Kogami. Their older companion - silent up until now - guided them towards the welcome desk. He looked entirely unruffled, even with his sweater and scarf. She wondered how he could not be sweating with the heavy clothes.

Saiga Jouji was an elusive man and only became more mysterious as she interacted with him increasingly. From Kogami's old mentor to a recluse in the forest, she couldn't seem to get a clear understanding of him. He was grumpy and judgmental but clearly well educated and knowledgeable. He had Kogami's respect for sure, which was more surprising to Akane than anything else. She had no idea Kogami was capable of respecting anyone.

Now that the Specimen Case had been reopened, Saiga had returned for the day to Tokyo despite his obvious distaste for the city. In addition to his advice on how to analyze the new murders, he had arranged this visit to the MWPSB's research center for them. Though Akane didn't know exactly how this would help them catch the murderer, Kogami seemed confident in his former professor's decision, and Akane had a feeling in her gut that she should see it through.

"Good afternoon. Do you have an appointment?" asked the receptionist pleasantly. The older man smiled stiffly.

"Yes, we're here to see Kuma-sensei in analytics. My name is Saiga Jouji. These two are Tsunemori Akane and Kogami Shinya, detectives at the MWPSB," said the man in a gruff voice. He adjusted his glasses in a way that gave him a very authoritative air.

The young woman nodded and scanned through the names on her computer screen. Nodding, she said, "Yes, I see you here. May I see your IDs?"

Saiga pulled out his license and Akane and Kogami flashed their badges. The woman nodded, eyes widening at Kogami's. Akane winced on the inside, as she knew his read, ' _Enforcer.'_ The woman's lips tightened and she averted her gaze nervously, avoiding his eye.

"O-oh, yes. Um... Thank you. Please, the lab is down the hall, turn left, and the last door at the end," she explained quickly. She looked at Saiga and then Akane, before deciding the female officer was trustworthy. She smiled nervously again and bowed, gesturing for them to enter. Akane thanked the receptionist and they continued into the secure corridor.

As the door closed behind them, Akane glanced up at Kogami. Saiga led the way with the two of them close behind. He turned his head slightly with an almost bored expression.

"Don't worry about it. I'm used to it," he said. She jumped with surprise at his realization but then frowned.

"Does that happen often?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Not many civilians know about Enforcers, so no, but people within the Public Safety Bureau generally know," he explained.

"Do most officials treat you that way?"

"Most. There are some who don't care."

Akane frowned deeply. Ginoza's face came to mind, scowling. He was certainly someone who did care. She thought back to her surprise at even discovering that Enforcers existed. She'd never interacted with latent criminals and had always assumed growing up that they were bad people. Now that she worked with them daily, she wasn't sure what to think. She thought of Kagari and Kunizuka and realized that if she had met them under different circumstances, she never would have thought they were criminals. She wondered if that were something by which to be troubled or comforted.

"This is it," said Saiga, breaking the silence. He knocked on the door sharply, and the sound of shuffling could be heard from the other side. There was then the zip of the door sliding open automatically, revealing a tall, broad man with a wide grin on his face.

"Saiga! How are you, old man?" he boomed.

"God, you're loud," growled Saiga, though Akane thought there was a bit of a smile on his face. They shook hands and Saiga turned towards Akane and Kogami. "These are Inspectors Tsunemori and Kogami. They're the ones interested in your ridiculous work."

Kuma laughed heartily.

"Yes, of course. Please come in, come in! Let me show you around."

Akane had been expecting a large room with researchers scuttling back and forth in lab coats, but it was a pretty average looking office with people in average looking clothes. A few people looked up mildly and then continued on with their work. Kuma guided them to the next room.

This one was a bit bigger with large computers, much like Karanomori's at their headquarters. She eyed them carefully, wondering just how much they could do and see. After all, Karanomori seemed all-knowing with her computer. Perhaps it was just her specific skill.

As she looked closer, she noted that most people in this room were young - no older than 35. She wondered if young people were favorable for this kind of research.

"Ah, there she is."

At the edge of the room towards the far wall was a young woman at another one of those mammoth systems. Like the rest of her colleagues in this room, she was young, around university age. Slender and wiry, she wore a palette of grays. The woman's hair was inky black and cut short to her chin, not dissimilar to Akane's. As they approached, she turned to show her eyes were nearly also gray.

Her face lit up at the sight of Saiga. Somehow, the sight of her smile surprised Akane. Turning away from her computer, she leapt to her feet.

"Saiga-sensei!" she greeted. "It's been too long! What are you doing here?"

"I have some colleagues here from Crime Investigation who are interested in whatever witchcraft you're working on here," he said with a crooked smile. "These are Inspectors Tsunemori and Kogami. Kogami was also a student of mine. Inspectors, this is Nosaka Hotaru, Kuma-sensei's research assistant. She was a student in the last class I taught at Nitto and almost as big of a pain in the ass as you, Kogami."

Kogami gave a "tch!" The young woman grinned.

"You're just so easy to harass, sensei," she said and then bowed, adding, "It's very nice to meet you. I'm always excited to meet other students of Saiga-sensei."

"Even though you went the exact opposite way of what I wanted for you," said the professor. She smiled sheepishly.

"I'm doing critical thinking here. Isn't that what you wanted?" she countered.

"Critical thinking for yourself, not the system," he said. She laughed.

"Thinking for the system is indirectly thinking for myself," she laughed. Saiga sighed.

"So what do you work on here?" asked Akane.

"I take crime coefficient analysis and direct it towards new technological tools for the MWPSB. Basically, I help give the police new ways to catch latent criminals or recondition those whose coefficients are rising," she explained.

"Nosaka-san is one of our rising stars here in the lab," said Kuma with a grin. Nosaka bowed humbly.

"Oh no, I'm just lucky to have been placed under such a brilliant supervisor," she said.

"Still a suck-up," said Saiga with a smirk.

"Maybe I've just been lucky to have had great mentors my entire life," she said with a coquettish smile. Kuma laughed.

"Why don't you show them the helmets?" he suggested.

"Helmets?" echoed Saiga.

"Yes, they're pretty exciting. Let me show you," said Nosaka with a grin, gesturing towards back towards the hall. They took a right out of the door and then another right at the end, which led to another long hallway.

As they walked, Akane watched Nosaka discreetly. Akane thought that Nosaka was perhaps pretty, but not beautiful. The word that came to mind was "clean," thought she spoke with Saiga and Kuma with an infectious sort of enthusiasm that lit up her eyes in a way that elevated her features.

Nosaka glanced back at Akane and Kogami with a soft smile that made Akane think she had somehow heard her thoughts. Her eyes seemed to scan her. Large and gray, she wanted to say that Nosaka's eyes were almost colorless.

"How long have you been at the MWPSB, Inspector Tsunemori?" asked Nosaka. The question surprised Akane.

"Oh, um, just a couple of months," she said sheepishly. Nosaka returned the expression.

"Me too," she said. "Where did you go to school?"

"Hongou."

"Oh, that's a good school,"noted Nosaka.

"Oh, no, not that good," said Akane humbly. "You went to Nitto? That's also very good."

"Not that good," echoed Nosaka with a knowing grin.

Akane smiled back, deciding that she liked the young researcher. They reached a cold door along the hallway, and Nosaka put her ID up to the sensor. It beeped and the door slid open. Akane nearly gasped as they stepped into the room.

It was the lab that she had been expecting. A couple of men in lab coats worked on a bundle of circuits in the corner with a strange assembly of what looked to be mechanical legs slumped beside them. Nosaka led them to a table in the center.

"One minute. I have to go grab it from the back," she said, running off. It gave Akane a moment to look around the room.

Throughout her entire life, Tsunemori Akane had rarely struggled. She had always had the best scores in her class and had placed higher in all of her test scores than her friends. She had been the only one from her class to score well in all of her subjects and the sole student to be recommended to the MWPSB. Her friends had often whined about the freedom allotted to her, but now as she stood in this lab of wonders, she couldn't help but feel very unaccomplished.

A part of her wanted to ask Nosaka how she had done in her subjects as a student. She knew it was rude, but not very many people went into research of this kind. Perhaps Akane could have done the same.

There was a yelp from the corner as the wires sparked beneath the men's hands. Smoke fizzled slightly.

"You okay over there?' called Kuma. One gave a thumbs up, and they continued on with their work, coughing slightly.

Akane grimaced inwardly. No - she definitely wasn't made for this kind of work.

"Sorry for the wait!"

Akane looked back to see Nosaka running back with a large, bulky mass of metal in her hands. Akane automatically started forward.

"Oh, let me help y-"

Nosaka laughed as she brushed away her concern, saying, "It's alright. It's actually very light. Here, take a look."

She handed it off to Akane, and the inspector yelped slightly as she caught it, expecting it to hit her with great force. To her surprise, it was as Nosaka said - surprisingly light.

"The shell is aluminum for wearability. It's really just a means to hold the mechanisms together. It's lighter than plastic," explained Nosaka with a smile.

"It's a helmet?" asked Akane.

"What does it do?" asked Kogami.

"They're basically scan blockers," said Nosaka. The three visitors all looked up with surprise. "Many organized crime groups have their own scan systems that can detect intruders, which has ironically turned our own system against us, particularly now that the department works with Enforcers. We're developing equipment that can essentially make an officer invisible to a scanner or reflect a fake Coefficient so that they can move undetected while undercover or on a mission."

"Wouldn't this be conspicuous?" asked Kogami. Nosaka nodded.

"Yes, but our hope is to continue developing the technology so that it can be reduced in size eventually to something that can just be carried in your pocket," she said.

"Can I try it?" asked Kogami.

"Please," said Nosaka with a slight nod.

The man took it gingerly, looking over the strange wires and lights. He then slipped it over his head, and settled it with care on his shoulders.

"Not bad," came his mumbled voice.

"Inspector Tsunemori, you carry a Dominator, right?" said Kuma. She nodded and felt for it at her side. It still felt bulky, even after the past couple of months. She didn't know if she would ever grow used to carrying such a dangerous weapon. "Why don't you test it to see what it says when you point at Kogami-san?"

Akane hesitated. The last time she had done such a thing, she had stunned the Enforcer. Her stomach clenched unpleasantly at the memory.

"It's okay," said Kogami, as if reading her thoughts.

Nodding, she reached for the Dominator with great care. In her mind, she heard the automated voice say, " _Dominator Portable Psychological Diagnosis and Suppression System has been activated. User authentication: Inspector Tsunemori Akane. Affiliation: Public Safety Bureau, Criminal Investigation Department. Dominator usage approval confirmed. You are a valid user. The current enforcement mode is Non-Lethal Paralyzer. Aim calmly and disable the target._ "

She aimed the Dominator at Kogami. In the viewport, she saw the target focus on him. The numbers spun until they settled, and she gasped.

 _25._

"How?" she breathed. Nosaka pulled out a small remote and clicked a button.

"What about now?" she asked.

The coefficient changed to 15.

"How?" exclaimed Akane again.

"What does it say?' asked Saiga.

"It says Kogami-san's coefficient is 15!" said Akane with awe.

Kogami then took the helmet off, shaking his hair from the flatness of the helmet. Akane saw his coefficient shoot up to 265.8. She yelped and immediately dropped it down to her side, spinning away from Kogami. Frantically, she disengaged and shoved it into her pocket. Her hands and face burned as she turned around.

Thankfully, they seemed to understand and didn't make a point of asking her. Kogami, in fact, was completely absorbed in the helmet. He turned it over in his hands with that hard expression that he made when he saw a path open up in a case.

"How much for one?" he asked. Kuma laughed.

"They'll be free to use for Criminal Investigation once we work out a few kinks," he said, taking it from Kogami. The Enforcer obviously wanted to analyze it more but handed it over.

"What do you think, sensei?" asked Nosaka eagerly. Saiga had a dark expression on his face. The answer seemed obvious.

"I don't like it," he said bluntly. She frowned.

"Why not?"

"This is going to get into the wrong hands," he said.

"No, it's like the Dominators. Only registered people can activate them," said Kuma. Saiga shook his head gravely.

"It's only a matter of time before criminals can use those too," he warned in a gravelly voice.

Kuma frowned deeply at his colleague's response, but Nosaka tilted her head thoughtfully. She seemed to be scanning Kogami up and down.

"May I ask what case you're investigating that you'd be interested in this?" she asked.

"The Oso Academy disappearances," said Kogami.

To everyone's surprise, Nosaka's eyes widened with fear. Kogami seemed to tighten slightly.

"From five years ago?" she asked.

"There are some new ones - recent ones," said Akane shaking her head.

Nosaka's lips pulled wide, and Akane frowned. Kogami also gave her a thoughtful look.

"Did you know about them?" asked Akane carefully.

"I was at Oso Academy when they happened," said Nosaka.

Again, Akane was surprised as Kogami stepped forward sharply.

"You knew Touma Kozaburo?" he asked.

"I knew who he was, but I never had him as a teacher," said Nosaka.

"Do you remember what he was like? If he had any interests?" asked Kogami seamlessly.

"He was… I don't know, a little generic? He always just seemed very cheerful in an odd way. I just thought he was kind of bland, to be honest," said Nosaka. "I don't know much about what he did, though he taught history. I can contact some old classmates who had him, if you'd like."

"That would be great, thank you," said Akane.

"What year did you graduate from Oso?" asked Kogami. Akane eyed him with a quiet glance.

"2108," said Nosaka.

Again, Kogami glowered thoughtfully. Akane tried to imagine what links he was putting together but couldn't. She and Saiga watched him carefully.

"Contact those classmates of yours as soon as you can," he finally said. "Let me know when they respond. The helmets too - I'll be wanting one of those."

Nosaka nodded with that curious look on her face again. She didn't speak much after, even as they said their goodbyes. None of them missed Kogami eyeing the helmet one last time.

The afternoon was even warmer than before when they stepped out of the building. Akane pulled off her jacket as they returned to the car. When they got in and the doors shut, Saiga said to Kogami, "I'd be careful of that stuff." Kogami arched a brow.

"Weren't you the one who brought us here?" he countered.

"I didn't think that's what Kuma was talking about when I emailed him," said Saiga gravely.

"Nosaka was your student, right? You don't trust her?" asked Kogami.

To this, Saiga remained thoughtfully silent. Even as they drove out of the lot, he did not respond. When they dropped him off at his house in the woods outside of Tokyo, he went inside with barely a word.

...

...

The outskirts of Tokyo were warm. Tokyo must be sizzling, thought Makishima, for the city was always at least a few degrees warmer than the suburbs or countryside. The tall buildings produced an unnatural amount of heat and with them so packed together, the city became a hotbox in the summer. He thought to himself mildly that he would have to endure it the next time he went to Tokyo.

He imagined it would be soon.

Unlike Tokyo, the ground of Oso Academy were still pleasant. The trees had shed their flowers and taken on a kind shade of green. The campus somehow glowed a bit brighter without the students crowding the grounds. Exams were a nice reprieve in that way.

Another factor contributing to the quiet was the disappearance of two students. Since the beginning of the new term, two girls - childhood friends Kawarazaki Kagami and Okubo Yoshika - had disappeared within a week of each other. The mystery had left the campus in a tense state of anxiety since, the air thick and heavy.

Makishima loved it.

He looked over at Oryo Rikako, painting diligently again. The sketch across the canvas was still visible beneath the thin coat of paint beginning to splash across. Two faces were vaguely drawn.

"Have you displayed your last piece yet?" asked Makishima.

"I'm not done yet. I can't quite get it right," she said thoughtfully. Her hand paused, and she tilted her head to look at her painting. "Something is missing."

"Is that so? Should I prepare some more supplies for you?" he asked with a smile. She hummed thoughtfully.

"Yes, perhaps after exams," she said.

He looked over her again, wondering when he had grown so bored with her. She had been fascinating at the start - the orphaned daughter of a great artist, determined to continue her father's work with the bodies of her peers - but now that the excitement had disappeared, it all felt very contrived.

And the police were getting closer. Last week, the pair of officers from the MWPSB had returned to ask more questions in the light of the new disappearances. Though he knew they would not trace the murders to him, they were for once on his trail. He was not naive enough to think they wouldn't catch on eventually. He would probably have to move to the next pawn soon.

"What's your take on the recent investigations?" he asked. She hummed thoughtfully but continued painting.

"I don't know. They don't seem very important."

"Oh? You're not worried?" he asked with an arched brow.

"Not really," she said. "If they start getting too close, I'll just put the blame on someone else."

Makishima smiled narrowly. What a stupid plan. Perhaps it was the arrogance of youth, but even Oryo Rikako was not immune to the investigations of the police. When the time came - and it would - he knew she would be easily disposable.

"You know, something about you reminds me of another student I once taught here," he mused. Rikako smiled over her shoulder.

"Really?" she said. It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes."

"What about me?" she asked. Makishima hummed thoughtfully.

"Your nonchalance."

"That seems odd, coming from you, sensei," said Rikako with a smirk. "So this girl - was your relationship with her similar to ours?"

"In a way."

"But not _our_ way," she said.

"No, I don't think she'd be capable of anything so grandiose," he said. He looked over Rikako's shoulder to see the painting beginning to form. "And she was never very interested in art."

"So what did you talk about?"

"Philosophy," he said. Rikako looked at him curiously.

"What kind?"

"I recall her being interested in Nietzsche and Foucault."

"A very high school-esque interest," smirked Rikako. "Every pseudo-intellectual, morose teenage boy I've ever met has cited at least one of those two."

"Yes, they do pull at the young and contrary," said Makishima with a smile. "Are you familiar with their work?"

"I think we read some of their writings in class."

"And?"

"I don't remember. I didn't really enjoy it," she said with a shrug.

"I know," said Makishima. He noted that she did not hear the unimpressed tone of his voice. He imagined her with short hair and wondered what exactly that former student of his was doing now. "Though I would say you would find their writings relevant to your own work, particularly Foucault."

"Why is that?" she asked.

"Michel Foucault - a French philosopher and social theorist from the 20th century. He examines the historical role of punishment and imprisonment in western civilization and analyzes society's form of punishment and marginalized groups to identify the weaknesses of that said society," explained Makishima.

Rikako nodded thoughtfully as she continued to paint. Makishima watched as a subtle shade of pink was applied to a pair of lips.

"And what would Foucault say about our society?" asked Rikako.

"Foucault was interested in the history of the Soul," said Makishima. "He claims that the Soul of society is formed through modern methods of examination and structures. Without these, the Soul would not exist, for it Is only because we are advanced enough to see it. It is borne from the power and knowledge regimes that put their force upon our understandings of Self and Other, and by analyzing this Soul, we can then begin to understand the failings of our society.

"And so," said Makishima, "Can the Soul exist in a society in which the Sibyl System deems that self-examination is no longer necessary? What is the state of the Soul when 'improvement' is a prescription and destinies are determined by numbers? I think Foucault would be fascinated by what's happened here."

Makishima's eyes narrowed as he continued to watch Rikako paint. Though her interest had been piqued initially, his words seemed to be doing no more than washing over her like a gust of wind.

"And what is the state of the Soul if there is no prescription? What if society's citizens are given total agency and freedom to every outlet, even violence?" he asked quietly.

A breeze trickled in through the window, cool on the warm spring air. The trees outside were shedding their pink flowers, leaving a gray-pink trail of decaying petals. Makishima breathed deeply of the scent of coming summer.

Oryo Rikako continued to paint peacefully, as if Makishima had said nothing at all. If he were a more naive man, he would think she was contemplating it. He knew better than to do that.

It was barely May, but summer was surely on its way, and in the encroaching heat, his gut whispered of something coming.

"He flies into flame, the summer insect," he recited.

Rikako hummed a vague agreement. Makishima nearly sighed with disappointment. His fingers twitched as he looked at her back. She would not serve him much longer, regardless of what she thought. He needed to prepare appropriately for when the cogs began to turn again.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Disclaimer:** I own no rights to _Psycho-Pass._ This story is written as a piece of fanwork without profit or claims.

...

 **Japanese:** I don't get into this much in this story, but I'm going to include this note just because it's interesting. Japanese has 3 different writing systems. Kanji is the old system of characters, adopted from the Chinese system. Most countries in East Asia have used this system in the past and then developed their own alphabets, using a combination of both in contemporary times. Korean is another good example of this.

Japanese and Korean [and of many other nations] children are usually given character translations of their names. The kanji for Nosaka's name [Nosaka Hotaru] in this case is 野坂 蛍, which can be crudely translated to "Firefly in the Wild Slopes," though there are several other ways one could spell it.

Kogami Shinya: 狡噛 慎也

Tsunemori Akane: 常守 朱

Makishima Shogo: 槙島 聖護

 **"He flies into flame...":** An old Japanese proverb, describing a rash man who charges into battle and is killed for his lack of preparation.

 **School terms in Japan:** Unlike in Western schools, Japanese school terms start in April. This runs until late July. Summer break lasts until early September.

...

 **Sources:**

Foucault, M., & Sheridan, A. (2012). _Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison_. New York, NY: Vintage.

Takaha, A. (2013). _Psycho-Pass Zero: Namae no Nai Kaibutsu_. Retrieved from ?novel=psycho &page=1


	3. Passion and Delirium

**3\. Passion and Delirium**

 _..._

 _..._

 _"Madness begins where the relation of man to truth is disturbed and darkened"_ (Foucault & Sheridan, 2012, pg. 104) _._

...

...

There were apparently still parts in the center of Tokyo that were not constantly illuminated. Akane pondered this as the lights of the municipal district quickly faded away by the passenger window of the MWPSB car. Dim blue lights glinted by every few seconds.

It was uncharacteristically warm for October. Tsunemori Akane pulled at her collar slightly, trying to relieve her self with discretion. She glanced up at Kogami Shinya, but he luckily did not seem to notice her discomfort. She let out a silent sigh.

Akane did not know where they were going, but she could not bring herself to ask quite yet. Kogami had asked her to come with him [of course, he had to since he could not go anywhere on his own, as an Enforcer], but the flattery of it had let her ride out the excitement of the impromptu trip into the night to this point, when she realized she had no idea for what they had left the office.

Her wrist vibrated. She clicked on her wrist panel and saw a message: " _1 new email: Nosaka Hotaru."_

She couldn't help but smile a bit as she saved the email for later. Akane and the researcher had emailed back and forth a few times since Akane and Kogami had gone with Saiga to the laboratory regarding the Specimen Case, and despite the weight of the situation, Akane could not help but like Nosaka very much. Akane didn't have any friends in the MWPSB beyond her division [she wondered if she could even call them that], so the quick chemistry with Nosaka had been welcomed readily. Although Nosaka couldn't quite understand the stresses of law enforcement, she knew enough and was respectful enough of Akane's privacy. It gave her a chance to breathe.

"Nosaka again?"

Akane jumped with surprise at the suddenness of Kogami's voice. She looked up, expecting a reproachful look, but he smiled softly. She gave a bashful smile.

"Yeah," she admitted.

"What do you think of her?" asked Kogami.

"She seems very thoughtful and considerate. Anytime she remembers something that might help, she emails me."

"I'm glad she's been so helpful."

"You just want that helmet she's working on," said Akane with a grin.

"You got me," said Kogami, smiling. "You like her."

"Yeah, she's very nice. And funny," said Akane with a fond smile. "She seems a little lonely at the lab."

"How so?"

"She said no one there really socializes at all and they don't really deal with anyone outside their department, so she was excited when we came in," explained Akane. "And the re-opening of the Specimen Case has made her a little anxious for news from us."

"I'm sure. Did you get those contacts from her?"

"Yes, but they're all a little wary about talking to us. I don't think they were happy about Nosaka-san giving us their information," said Akane guiltily.

"I can't imagine anyone would find it pleasant to talk about a former teacher turned murderer," said Kogami grimly. He then gave her a hesitant glance. "Don't get too close to her. She's still involved in the case."

"I know," said Akane, a little petulant and a little regretful. She just wanted to clear this case so that she could develop the friendship she wanted with Nosaka.

Their car finally arrived at a large set of gates that shielded whatever lay behind them. Kogami entered a long PIN and the gates opened to reveal a massive and intimidating concrete building, somehow nestled in the center of the city. Long and ovular, Akane scanned her eyes down its long walls as they drove up to the front.

Only a few cars were parked outside, and she reasoned that it was too late for normal people to be coming to a government building. There was no plaque or sign at the front to indicate was sort of business was carried on inside, and as Kogami parked, she asked, "What is this place?"

"Huh, I guess you'd have no reason to come here," said Kogami thoughtfully as they got out. "This is a high security prison for high coefficient criminals, though they'll tell you it's a rehabilitation center."

Akane jumped with surprise at the news and gaped up at Kogami as he led her inside.

Even in the government building, she already felt herself sweating through the white oxford shirt and grimaced inwardly as she and Kogami passed through the lobby after another few security checkpoints. The door opened to a long hallway of glass and pristine white walls. As they stepped down the hall, she could not help but squeak with shock, jumping back.

There was a man behind the glass, pressing his face up against it. His teeth were bared, gums pink and shown for her to see. Drool ran down from his mouth and onto the floor. He wore a simple out of blue cotton. The next window held another prisoner, sitting in the corner with piles of books. The next pressed his face to the glass and leered at her, causing her to skip a few steps to hurry up to Kogami's side. He gave her a pitying look as she pulled her jacket on a little more to hide her figure.

"Sorry. I know this place is particularly bad for women," he said quietly. The next prisoner was smashing his head against the wall of his cell repeatedly. A small splotch of blood stained the cracked wall.

"Is it always like this?" she asked.

"No, this is just what happens to criminals after a certain amount of time here. Others kill themselves before losing their minds like this," said Kogami. The explanation did not comfort her.

"Why are we here again?" she asked as they reached another door down the long corridor. It slid open in response to Kogami's. ID.

"There's a criminal here I want to talk to," he said. "He's an art historian."

"You think he can tell us something about the Specimen Case?"

"I'm hoping," said Kogami.

There was a long sterile corridor and then another security panel. As they entered, the door shut quickly behind them. It echoed down the hall.

"The area we're entering now is for criminal whose coefficients are above 300. In the case of an emergency, this place will fill with poisonous gas to kill the prisoners inside," explained Kogami.

"That's terrible!" exclaimed Akane, eyes wide with horror. He gave her sort of a tired smile.

"If you or Ginoza ever decide I'm no longer useful, I'll get thrown in here and never released," he said.

It made her sick.

"Even if these guys did go outside, they'd just end up on the end of a terminating Dominator," said Kogami plainly. "At least they get the chance to live on the inside."

They stopped at the end of the hall. This one was different. It was just as brightly lit as the last, but it felt heavier. There were no groaning criminals or the sound of banging against walls. She heard the slight scratch of paper against paper and realized it was coming from the cell before them. Inside was strangely dark. Kogami knocked on the door.

"Oh, little doggie. Long time no see," came a croaky voice from inside. Akane thought that he sounded as if he were smiling.

"I see you've done a lot more drawings since the last time I saw you," said Kogami with a slight smile. "I bet it's hard doing the ones on your back without a mirror."

Akane frowned and craned her neck to look over Kogami's shoulder. In the darkness, she could see a lean figure roughly outlined. Bits of soft light hit his shoulders and legs. Her eyes widened as she saw the tattoos that ran from head to toe along a wiry body. His eyes were wide and piercing. She could not tell what his face looked like beneath the ink.

"It may not look like it, but I'm actually very flexible," said the man with a wide grin. Akane leapt back slightly with shock as his eyes focused directly on her. His smile broadened. "Though I suppose it would be easier if I had a mirror."

"Have you been watching the news?"

"I have no interest in a world with no interest in art," he sneered.

"Well, I think you'll be interested in this. I'm looking for artwork that's similar to these two bodies," said Kogami. He pulled his phone from his pocket and then clicked a few buttons. The screen projected through the window into a large portal that glowed brightly as images of the mutilated bodies from the case illuminated the room. They lit up the strange man's deformed face, which stretched again into that wide grin.

"Ah, these are pretty good," he marveled. "They're exactly like Oryo Roichi's paintings."

Kogami looked at Akane questioningly. She shook her head with her lack of recognition.

"How shameful that the name Oryo Roichi has faded away for you young people," mocked the man inside. "Back in the day, everything was stored on the net, even art that was deemed as 'bad.' You kids don't have any guts these days?"

The man stalked over to a pile of books by his bed and then sat down on the ground. With his side illuminated, Akane saw that he unabashedly wore no clothes.

"People like that are behind bars now, like you, thanks to the Sibyl System," said Kogami dully.

"So cold," laughed the man. It was a creaky sound, like a wooden rocking chair.

He got up and brought the book with him to the window. Opening to a page deep inside, he pressed the pages to the glass. Akane gasped.

There was a painting on the page of a cold skull with long black hair. Framing the canvas were lush green plants with camellia blossoms. The skull seemed to be growing from the plants, like a husk to a seed. A single red camellia bloomed in the skulls mouth.

It was titled _My Daughter_.

"Oryo Roichi," breathe Kogami.

"This artist's work sold for a good amount in my gallery," said the man inside. His face was calm, meditative. "He had firm morals and virtues. He was not a man of trend. I'm very saddened that even his name has faded away."

"Thank you, Ashikaga-san. This was a lot of help," said Kogami.

The man - Ashikaga - nodded and stalked away again.

"This was an interesting one. Bring me a mirror next time," he called. Kogami chuckled slightly before turning towards Akane. He nodded for them to continue down the hall away from the cells.

"Oryo Roichi," murmured Kogami. "We need to check the files to see if a name pops up. Can you check the school directory just in case?" he asked.

"Got it," she said shortly, already scanning through names on her wrist panel. The blue light flickered until it finally stopped on a file. A beautiful girl with striking features and dark hair stared at her from the blue screen. Akane gasped.

"Oryo Rikako! She's Roichi's daughter!" she cried.

Kogami already had his phone out. He hit a number and then glared down the hall as he waited for the answer. Akane's heart pounded, adrenaline spiking as he started down the hall towards the exit without waiting for her. She followed closely behind.

"Ginoza, we figured out a suspect for the Oso Academy murderer," he said quickly ahead of her. "It's a 3rd year student named Oryo Rikako. We're heading there now. Bring back up."

Her phone buzzed. It read, " _1 new email: Nosaka Hotaru."_

Akane quickly made a mental note to email her back as soon as they safely were home. Kogami hung up just as she slipped her phone back into her pocket, and they raced for the exit. Akane glanced up at Kogami to see that sharp wolfish gaze again. She wondered how her feelings would change towards him after this was over.

...

...

The evening was dreary with a steady rain falling on the grounds of Oso Academy.

The last bell had just rung, and students now walked the halls, chattering over the end of the day. The art teacher 'Shibata Yukimori' sat in his classroom looking over his evening work on his tablet. Or rather, that's how it seemed, for truly he was looking through images of various personal files. Each had a face at the top. He skimmed through them, memorizing their names and faces quickly. He paused on one file which had the name ' _Funahara Yuki.'_ He smiled.

Brown hair, brown eyes - he thought to himself that she was pretty. Funahara had the kind of face that elicited laughter. His stomach fluttered with excitement.

 _March 2112 ‒ Hongou Higher Education, Faculty of Natural Science, Major in Exercise Medicine_

Makishima did not know many people who went to Hongou. Tsunemori Akane's face came to mind, and as he turned to the next file, he smiled to see that the face in his mind matched the one in the image on his tablet. Tsunemori smiled up at him with Funahara's arm wrapped around her shoulders. They looked to be laughing. He felt the need to laugh as well.

Kogami Shinya was an interesting case study, but Tsunemori Akane could give him some entertainment as well. Perhaps he would give Funahara a call once this episode at Oso Academy came to a close. After all, he was quite bored with Oryo Rikako. Whatever interest she'd pulled out of him at the beginning of their arrangement had long ago deteriorated, and Kogami was eager to be rid of her. The carelessness with which she went about her art was starting to catch up with her, and Makishima would not allow her to reveal him beside her once the light was finally cast upon her face.

A flash of light caught his eye from the window. Makishima craned his neck as blue lights came hurdling down the long road to the school. The shrieking sound of sirens hit his ears. He walked just close enough to the window to see the officers' back as they ran from the cars and into the school. A small smile pulled at his lips as he realized he would not have to wait much longer to rid himself of Oryo.

 _"Hey! Hey, where do you think you're going?_ "

There were shouts from outside the classroom followed by the sound of clicking shoes and gasping girls. Makishima moved to the side of the wall so that he wasn't seen. Peering around the corner, a figure clad in black emerged from the crowd of gaping students, followed by principal.

" _Y_ ou can't come in here! Hey, aren't you listening to me?" cried the principal. Makishima pressed himself up against the wall, throat tightening as the officer stalked by. There was a flash of black hair - Makishima's heart pounded, thrilled.

It was Kogami Shinya.

"You can't just come in here! This is a school!" cried the principal furiously. There were shrieks as Kogami pulled the door open to reveal a classroom with a single girl in it. Her eyes were gray, hair dark and inky. She looked up with a frown as Kogami pulled his Dominator out and aimed it at her. Several students screamed and fled away, down the halls. Makishima did not waste time. He slipped out the door and sprinted down the hall just as he saw the Dominator glow blue.

"What are you doing!" screamed the principal. He grabbed Kogami's arm, and Makishima heard Rikako bolt from the room. He headed in the opposite direction, pulling out his phone and dialing for Choe. The man picked up almost immediately.

" _I'm already on it,_ " he said. Makishima smiled as he moved through the chaotic corridors.

"Good. I'll see you in a minute."

"Shibata-sensei, what's happening?" shouted one of the teachers as he walked by.

"There is a murderer upstairs," he said back, not bothering to hide his delight. There were shrieks around him and then bursts of panic. He dodged and moved through the panicking young women and turned down the last hallway towards the basement, leaving the chaos behind him. One door slid open, and then the next closed before him. He glowered just as it slid clicked shut at his approach.

Makishima looked over the door. There was no key pad or lock. There was not even a handle for him to pull. The camera above him turned slowly until it focused entirely on him. He glared before moving back down the hallway and through another door.

"How can we not find one girl?"

Makishima slammed himself back against the wall as a dark-haired officer stormed past him, a tall woman following closely. He recognized them as Detective Ginoza Nobuchika and Enforcer Kunizuka Yayoi. His heart raced as he noted how close he had come to ruining all of his plans. A teacher ran after them, shouting for them to stop. Makishima waited for anymore officers to stalk by and then moved quickly on to the passageway.

The door at the end shut again, the camera above it turning towards him.

"Who...?" he mumbled, staring up into it. Was it the MWPSB? Had they already spotted him? He grabbed a flowerpot from the nearby window and threw it hard at the camera. It fizzled and then fell to the floor broken with the shattered pot. The door slid open. Makishima stared down at the camera for a moment before picking it up from the floor and taking it with him through the door. It sparked slightly in his grip as he walked down the stairs into the dark basement. The cellar hatch opened easily and he slid down into the shadows, leaving the chaos of the Sakurashimo Gakuen behind him.

One of the reasons Makishima had chosen Oso Academy as a base of operations was the forgotten tunnels beneath the grounds. When the school had first been built, the politicians who sent their daughters to the school wanted security in the case of nuclear warfare. In those times of what-ifs, the deep tunnels he now walked through were constructed as a bunker to protect the children from attack. Now in isolated Japan, there was no need for such a thing [or so most people thought], opening up such abandoned spaces for the shadows of the Sibyl System, such as himself.

Hidden in the darkness, there was a steel door against the tunnel. Makishima knew where it was without looking, opening it swiftly and stepping into the cool room. A grid of monitors covered the walls, each showing various entrances and classrooms within the school. Several were focused on the entrance where several MWPSB officers stood. A single tall man with dark hair sat at the computer at the center of the room.

"How's it going?" asked Makishima.

"I slipped Oryo out of the fray and escorted her down to Senguji-san's domain. I would say she's probably in a panic by now," said Choe Gu-song with a fox-like smile.

"Good work."

"How are things up there?" asked Choe.

"As one would expect," said Makishima. "Were you the one who locked the doors?" he asked. Choe raised an eyebrow.

"Doors?"

Makishima hummed thoughtfully. So someone else had been watching him. He was intrigued and yet somehow a little annoyed.

"Someone hacked into the school security system and locked the doors behind me, either to give me more time or to attempt a poorly timed trap," said Makishima. "Check the logs and see what's there. It seems someone knows about us."

"Oh? What an exciting twist," said Choe with a grin. Makishima nodded, smiling.

"Indeed. Where is Senguji?"

"He's on deck if you'd liked to call him," said Choe.

"Yes, now seems like a good time to cut away the fat," said Makishima. He accepted the phone from Choe, pushing a few buttons. Senguji answered before the first ring.

" _Yes?_ "

"Please take care of our loose end. I leave the method to you as you fit," said Makishima will a cool smile. He heard the older man laugh on the other end.

" _Excellent. I will take my time and resolve the tunnels when I'm done. I will meet you and Choe-san later,_ " he said happily.

"See you then."

Makishima hung up and handed the phone back to Choe. The Korean man smiled.

"Shall we head out?" he asked. "I have set this area to self-destruct in fifteen minutes."

"Please lead the way," said Makishima.

"What an eventful day," said Choe as they stepped into the dark tunnel, a flashlight clicking on in his hand. A rat scurried by, fat and dark. Makishima smiled with the knowledge that not all ugly things could be erased.

"Indeed. I had expected the MWPSB to catch up to Rikako eventually, but I did not expect it so fast," said Makishima. His smile deepened. "And the possibility of this new player is like an extra layer of spice."

"You have an interesting way with words," laughed Choe. "Do you have any idea who it could be?"

"Not at all," said Makishima. His heart fluttered a bit. "I can't wait to see what happens next." His watch read 18:34.

At approximately 18:49, a precise explosion occurred beneath the grounds of Oso Academy. Nothing above ground was destroyed, but a series of mysterious tunnels below collapsed. The MWPSB followed the tunnels to find that the exits had all been destroyed. Unable to maneuver through the rubble, they did not find the body of Oryo Rikako or the massive containers of chemicals. It would take months for them to carefully remove the broken concrete and steel enough to send a group of officers through.

When the MWPSB went back to the school security cameras, they found that all surveillance from the past six months had been wiped clean. No images of the missing teacher named Shibata Yukimori were left in the system, and when a background search was done for him, they found that the real Shibata Yukimori had been dead for many years. Students were withdrawn from the school in waves, and it only seemed a matter of time before the traditional teachings of maidenhood were eliminated from modern Japan. Whatever Oryo Rikako's true wish had been, she had at least helped free other young women from the prison she had so hated.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Bunkers:** There is a growing nuclear bunker industry now in Japan. With the threat of North Korea's nuclear capabilities, many Japanese are constructing bunkers in their own homes. In the U.S., there is an inactive bunker beneath the Greenbrier, which is a luxury resort in the White Sulfur Springs of West Virginia. The bunker was built during the Cold War for its proximity to Washington D.C. and its popular hosting of politicians. In the case of nuclear attack, the resort would be given over to federal use and used as a base. Google "Project Greek Island." It's pretty interesting stuff.

 **Sources:**

Foucault, M., & Sheridan, A. (2012). _Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison_. New York, NY: Vintage.

Funimation. (2016, September 15). _PSYCHO-PASS Episode 8: And Then, Silence_ [Video file]. Retrieved from psycho-pass/episode-8-and-then-silence-719851


	4. Memory 21100903

...

...

 **4\. Memory 21090903**

 _Toma Kozaburo_

 _Birthday: 2084/12/25_

 _Place of Birth: Ogishima_

 _Education:_

 _Toma Academy - 2105/03/15_

 _2109/03/20_

 _Work History:_

 _April 2109 ‒ Starts working as a social science teacher in Oso Private Academy, High School department_

 _Licenses/Qualifications:_

 _February 2109 ‒ Achieves Teaching License for Social Science, Secondary Education_

At the beginning of any new term, there are a few weeks of excitement throughout the school, as if a small buzz energized everyone throughout the campus. Students are tanned and ready to continue their youth. Teachers are hopeful for a fresh start for their students. It was one of the busier times of year, and the almost chaotic energy could not be avoided, even by the most even-headed individuals.

Or rather, it had been that way a week ago. As it were now, the grounds were nearly silent. No lunches were eaten on benches outside or balls floating by windows. No student dared to go outside alone, even during the day, for a student's body had been found on the grounds during this time just a week ago, and another had just gone missing. It made for a rather somber autumn afternoon.

Makishima hummed to himself, a tablet on his desk before him. Scanning through the details, he wondered if Toma Kozaburo also felt the strange autumnal anxiety, the hunger to do more and accomplish more, despite the darkness that had settled over the school. Even he felt it, deep in his gut and bones, particularly because he was not the reason for the quiet air. It made him feel reckless.

The popular social sciences teacher Toma Kozaburo had brown hair and brown eyes and a smile that never seemed to leave his face. Makishima Shogo decided that Toma was a handsome man, in the way that a white shirt was beautiful. He was attractive without being noticed, enough to make his way through life without conflict. It was an envious trait for many reasons.

Toma was a mystery. He had been working at Oso Academy a year longer than Toma but remained the only teacher Makishima could not unravel. Well-liked and good at his job, he was not one to come under scrutiny, and no matter how much Makishima dug, he could not find anything that spoke of misdeeds. Makishima could see it in the other man's face - there was something missing behind his gaze, something blank. Makishima recognized it because it was missing from his own.

He had been teaching at Oso for a year with only a few interactions with the man, but it was enough for Makishima to know that there was something about Toma that he was someone to watch. And so he had watched carefully, subtly. Makishima's associate Choe Gu-Song had dug up every bit of information he could find on the elusive man, but it were as if "Toma Kozaburo" had solidified out of thin air sometime between 2084 and 2086 as a recipient of a scholarship to Toma Academy, a Child Care Institute for children in need [the similarity between names also did not escape his notice]. Taking all of this to be true, he had to conclude that Toma was an orphan the government had found and taken in at that time.

And now Makishima could not help but see the points beginning to align. A man with no past and a girl found dead on the school grounds - Makishima knew how this mystery would end before the police could even declare a suspect.

"What are you humming?"

Makishima looked up, mildly surprised someone had caught him in his reverie. Standing in the doorway was a girl with short black hair and a colorless smile. He smiled.

On the best of days, Makishima had a light sort of fondness for his students, like a child for an insect, and on the worst of days, Makishima contemplated the ruin of his students in great detail. This girl stood somewhere outside of this spectrum, for he oddly had no interest in building her up or tearing her down. She smiled in a way that reassured him of his opinion.

"Beethoven's Fifth Symphony," he said with a smile.

"Boring," she said lightly.

"Did you come here to mock my taste in music?" he asked archly.

"I'm bored. Can I join you?" she asked.

"You're going to no matter what I say," he replied dryly. She snickered and scampered in. "You don't have a lunch?"

"I already ate it," she said, plopping down at the nearest table. "Did you eat already?"

"Yes."

"What'd you have?"

"A sandwich," he said.

"From the cafeteria?"

"Yes," he said, arching a brow. She had a strange tendency to zero in on seemingly mundane details. As he looked over her, he could remember a few of her own:

 _Name: Nosaka Hotaru_

 _Birthday: 2092/12/26_

 _Place of Birth: Tokyo_

 _Education:_

 _Sakurashimo Gakuen - 2108/04/01 - present_

 _Father: … Some corporate executive?_

He could not remember anything else, but she seemed rather average on paper. Good grades, good family, good prospects - it was all quite boring. If she weren't so odd in person, he would have lost interest in her immediately.

Placing her bag on the table, she rummaged through a few notebooks before pulling out a strange black device. It was long and heavy looking. Save the small monitor and the ban on guns, he would have thought that it were an old pistol. She hummed the music she had just criticized him for as she pressed a few things. He sighed, knowing that she wanted him to ask about her toy. He decided he would not humor and instead stared at her archly until she looked up with impatience.

"Aren't you going to ask me something?" she asked.

"You obviously are dying to tell me anyway, so I was waiting for you," he responded.

"You're no fun," she pouted. He rolled his eyes.

"Well?"

She gestured for him to come over to the table, so he got up and leaned down to see the device in question. It was a chunk of black steel with an interface that did not seem as impressive as the shell. He thought it looked powerful enough to kill someone with a small swing. He wondered if that would be the most suitable way to kill this girl.

"What is that?" he asked.

"A new coefficient scanner model from the government," she said giddily. She fiddled with a couple of buttons as Makishima's throat clenched slightly.

"Where did you get that?"

"Stole it from my dad," she said.

"Your father works for the government?" he asked curiously. It was the first time he'd heard of it. He should have looked into her files before.

"For the Ministry of Welfare - he runs the research division or something like that, but he doesn't do any of the cool stuff. I think he just sits in meetings all day," she said with a shrug. She pushed another couple of buttons.

"Is it really such a good idea for you to have that?" he asked.

"I'll put it back when I'm done," she said with a shrug.

"That's not really the point."

"What, are you going to tell on me?" she asked, grinning.

"I could confiscate it and report you as bringing stolen property onto campus."

"You could," she agreed simply. He sighed.

"I don't like how confident you are," he said bluntly.

"Confidence lies in self-preparation," she said with a grin.

"You know how to use that thing?" he asked. In his mind, he steadied his heart rate to a slow rhythm.

"This stuff is all pretty intuitive for me. I hack into Otou-san's computer all the time."

"Why?"

"Because I can. There's some gross stuff on there - makes you wonder what everyone else is looking at in private," she said. She looked at the screen one more time and then grinned up at him as she aimed it at his face.

Makishima marveled at life's chances to surprises him, even now, for after all the years of escaping suspicion and pointed fingers, he was now being scanned by a teenage girl. For a moment, he wondered what would happen if his run ended here. There was the rapid sound of sharp beeps and then one more. Nosaka's face lit up, beaming, and Makishima knew that he still remained the same man.

"Ah, sensei, your Hue is so clear, like the Mediterranean Sea," she marveled. Makishima arched a brow to hide his relief.

"Have you seen the Mediterranean Sea before?" he asked.

"Only in pictures," she admitted with a grin. "But your Hue looks just like it. Oh, it went down!"

"Sounds like a glitch," he lied calmly. "Can I see it?"

The girl dutifully handed it over to him, and he felt the weight of it. Turning it over in his hands, he wondered if the MWPSB designed it in such a sinister way on purpose. He then held it up and saw the small screen on the back. As Nosaka's face came into view, numbers began to spin. It then beeped and stopped: 42.

"How boring," he said, giving it back to her. She pouted.

"How am I boring?" she asked. "42 is a decent score."

"It'd have been more interesting if it were lower," he said honestly.

"We can't all be perfect inside and out," she retorted.

As she toyed with the machine, Makishima watched her thoughtfully. A scanner in the hands of a student could be dangerous for him, and a scanner in the hands of this student was unpredictable at best. No matter how much time she spent in his classroom or rambling to him about her thoughts, Makishima still was unable to completely read her. She genuinely seemed fond of him, but he could not tell just how blind that affection was. After all, his goals were not as pure or simple as the average person would even guess them to be. It was enough to make a weaker mind go mad.

Nosaka finally looked up at him again, that broad pale-eyed grin on her face. Despite himself, he shivered slightly at the expression as she turned and aimed the machine at the door.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm going to scan the first person who walks past the door," she said giddily.

First, a pair of first-years walked by. Nosaka's machine began to beep again.

"Huh, 28. That's pretty low," she noted. "The other is 23! Must be nice."

Makishima raised a brow and was about to ask what she meant, but then something caught his eye. There was a glimmer of brown hair, and then a group of laughter. Toma Kozaburo appeared in the door flanked by another two students. As always, he had a pleasant smile on his face, and Makishima could not believe the absurdity of his luck.

In the hands of a student, the scanner could be dangerous. In the hands of this student, Makishima marveled that this year could be the most exciting yet. There was a beep from the scanner. Nosaka frowned.

"That can't be right," she said.

"What is it?"

"Well, look," she said. She turned the scanner to show him the screen. He inhaled sharply.

It read 0.

The thoughts flew. The charming teacher, the miracle orphan - the blurry image finally came into focus with crisp clarity. His instincts had led him to another opportunity, but how he was to take hold, he had to think fast.

"Sensei?"

"This scanner is definitely glitching," breathed Makishima. He turned it towards Nosaka, who was frowning up at him. The numbers spun and then read 42 again.

"Is it bad?" she asked. He lowered the scanner.

"You should have one of your father's people calibrate it. It's fluctuating," he lied.

"So your Hue isn't that clear either?" she asked with a frown.

"No, I'm not that clean of a person," he said truthfully. "Can I borrow this?"

"Eh?"

"I'd like to do a study with it," he said. He supposed that was not far off from the truth.

"That's the creepiest thing I've heard in a while," she said narrowly. She leaned back slightly, as if to put space between them. He smiled, wondering just how close she was to really seeing him.

"Just give it to me," he said. "Or I'll report you."

Nosaka grumbled as she handed the machine over. As he'd suspected, it was heavy enough to surprise him. He assessed its weight and then moved towards the door. Nosaka watched him suspiciously but did not follow. He made sure to close the door behind him.

Moving quickly, he looked down the hallway to see that Toma had disappeared. He stepped swiftly down the hall until he came across the social sciences teacher's classrooms. Toma stood at his desk, talking happily with two students who laughed giddily under his attention. Makishima lifted the scanner and pushed the same buttons Nosaka had. In the viewfinder was Toma's smiling face.

The numbers spun and then there were a series of beeps. Makishima's heart pounded as he read the coefficient: 0.

For a moment, he was dumbstruck. The past months had been building up to this, despite the lack of evidence, but now that all of his suspicions were correct, Makishima wondered if he should act now. It was not in his nature to act hastily, and he still had no proof that the murder or the second missing girl was from Toma's doing, but Makishima already knew he was going to enter the classroom. He pulled the scanner to his side, with excitement in his ribs, knocked on the open door. Toma looked up from his conversation with the girls with his typical smile.

"Shibata-sensei. What can I do for you?" he asked. His voice was pleasant and smooth. Makishima understood why the girls favored him.

"I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute," said Makishima. He held the scanner by his side, just outside the frame so Toma couldn't see it. The other man smiled curiously.

"Ladies, could you excuse us? Why don't you head back to the dorms and we can continue talking tomorrow?"

The girls pouted but left obediently anyway. Makishima barely paid them any mind as he entered as the last stepped out closed the door behind them.

"What can I do for you, Shibata-sensei?" asked Toma again.

"I just wanted to talk," said Makishima with a smile. Toma smiled curiously. It was an odd reaction to such a strange claim.

"Is that so? Well, please," said Toma, gesturing to the desk before his.

"I'll stand, thank you," said Makishima. "I actually wanted to talk about the recent missing student. Scary stuff, isn't it?"

"Yes, I warned all of my students to walk in groups or with a teacher at all times," said Toma, though his smile did not falter.

"That's good. It would be dreadful if another student went missing," said Makishima, not bothering to hide his sarcasm. Toma's eyes narrowed slightly, but his smile remained.

"Indeed." There was a flicker of suspicion in his voice, which sent a tremble of pleasure down Makishima's spine. He let the scanner fall to his side. Toma's mouth shut quickly as he saw it.

"Do you know what this is?" asked Makishima, fiddling with the buttons as he'd seen Nosaka do.

Toma swallowed and then said, "I don't."

"One of my students brought this in today. Her father is some big figure in the MWPSB apparently," said Makishima with a smile. He then brought the machine up to his face, and pointed it at Toma. The man froze in place.

Again, the numbers spun and then stilled. It read 0.

"Once again," murmured Makishima, "White."

"What do you want?" hissed Toma, his facade now crumbling. Makishima smiled pleasantly and lowered the scanner. He then turned it and offered it to Toma. The man stared blankly at him.

"This is a device from the government - a prototype they're working on for everyday households. I was surprised to see my student with it but even more surprised when she scanned you and saw your coefficient."

"I'm sure it's malfunctioning," said Toma quickly.

"That's what I told her," said Makishima, looking him in the eye. Toma looked ready to fight or flee. "You really should be more careful, or you'll out all of us."

Toma's eyes narrowed dangerously, all semblances of pleasantries gone. Makishima watched openly as the anger contorted over the man's face and wondered if this were the face those dead girls saw before they died.

"Do you know how to control your coefficient?"

"Do you?" asked Toma narrowly.

Makishima thought for a moment on how to best demonstrate this and then realized the obviousness from the weight in his hand. He lifted it and offered it to the brunette man, who recoiled at the gesture.

"Try it out," urged Makishima.

Toma eyed the scanner for a moment, the static between them sparking. He then reached forward hesitantly and took the scanner. Makishima lowered his hand slowly. When Toma raised the scanner, his eyes were narrowed. His body remained tense as if ready to flee at any moment, but as soon as the scanner beeped to indicate it was done reading.

"15," he said, but then his eyes darted back to the screen as the machine beeped again. Toma let out a breath of surprise. He looked up at Makishima. "0," he breathed. Makishima smiled as he saw Toma without a smile for the first time.

They stood in silence for a moment as Makishima watched the panicked thoughts trickle down Toma's face.

"You're the only other I know," murmured Toma finally.

"I figured if you're working in a place like this," said Makishima. Toma's eyes narrowed.

"Then what are you doing here?" he countered.

"Would you believe me if I said it was to help pass the time?" said Makishima. Toma snorted. "And it gives me a nice level of proximity to more notable figures than myself."

"Why?" asked Toma lowly.

"Because it's fun," said Makishima.

Toma assessed him sharply before pulling up a bitter smile.

"So why are you coming to me?" he asked. "Are you going to blackmail me?"

"No," said Makishima plainly. "I thought you could help entertain me."

"Oh?" asked Toma with an arched brow. "How would I do that?"

"By doing whatever it is that you want to do," said Makishima.

Toma analyzed him narrowly, and Makishima made no effort to hide himself in any way. After a long minute, Toma said, "I don't understand."

"I get fulfillment from helping others," said Makishima with a smile. "I find the Sibyl System so restricting, so when I find others who are able to bypass that system, I like to do whatever I can to help them further their goals. Doesn't that make sense?"

"Not at all."

"I suppose it's unusual," said Makishima.

"It's unbelievable."

Makishima bowed his head with admission, and then said, "Whether you believe it or not, it is the truth."

"Am I supposed to be convinced by that?" scoffed Toma.

"You don't have to. I am offering the opportunity should you wish to take it. I have many resources at my disposal that I think could be of use to you. Think about it," said Makishima.

He gave a bow of his head and then turned, but before he could leave, Toma asked in a harsh whisper, "Do you have access to chemicals?"

Makishima turned back, eyebrow raised. "Like what?" he asked, not bothering to hide his pleasure.

"Embalming solution, preservation chemicals - stuff like that," said Toma nervously, quietly.

If his interest had not been piqued before, it was now. Makishima smiled and nodded. "Now, whatever could you need that for?" he asked mockingly.

"Bring me what I ask for and I'll see if I can start believing you," said Toma.

"Noted. I'll keep you updated," said Makishima, beaming. "Oh, and just so you know, this school has a lot of history to it. It goes back to pre-Sibyl days when the threat of nuclear warfare with North Korea was at its peak, so there are some interesting underground bunkers beneath us. Since you're so interested in history, I recommend you go down to take a look. It's fascinating stuff."

Toma shot him a suspicious but curious look, and then Makishima turned once more, taking the machine with him. As he passed through the door, he smashed the scanner against the frame, cracking the screen and bending the metal panels. It sparked and fizzled as he walked down the hall back to his classroom. Toma watched him with shock as he left.

The trees outside were beginning to turn yellow, and a breeze rolled in through the large open windows. Makishima smiled and hummed happily as he walked. Autumn was going to be an exciting season after all. Nosaka was not pleased at his blase attitude when he re-entered his classroom with the borrowed machine.

"Sorry, I broke it," he said, handing it to her without a second glance. She gaped at the cracked scanner and then at him with horror.

"What did you do?" she cried. She gasped as a few sparks flickered between the frayed wires.

"Dropped it," he said, rearranging the papers on his desk.

"On what, a wood chipper?" she cried.

"A student knocked into me. It flew out of my hands." He then paused and glanced back at her. For a moment, he considered warning her to avoid going anywhere alone, but he thought better of it. She would be entertaining if Toma did decide to target her.

Nosaka obviously did not believe his empty excuse and did not hear Makishima's silent monologue. She stared with a torrent of emotions Makishima could not quite identify. Her mouth opened and then shut and then repeated this again before she simply grabbed her bag and walked out of the classroom, mechanism sparking in her hands. Makishima watched the door for a moment thoughtfully before turning back to his own work.

Spoiled rich girls were the last thing he needed to concern himself with. Just as he had known all along in his gut, Toma Kozaburo was an asymptomatic criminal, just like him. He needed to engage his network for the coming events, and he needed to prepare himself. Whatever it was that Toma asked of him next, Makishima was determined to see it through, but he would not be taken down with him when the time came that Toma's course ran short.

...

...

* * *

 **A/N:** I have never read the novels or additions to the canon from the anime, so whatever knowledge I have is essentially from Wiki and the anime. I think my take on Toma is more skittish than in canon.


	5. Panopticism

**5\. Panopticism**

...

...

"Power has its principle not so much in a person as in a certain concerted distribution of bodies... Consequently, it does not matter who exercises power... The more numerous those anonymous and temporary observers are, the greater the risk for the inmate of being surprised and the greater his anxious awareness of being observed. The Panopticon is a marvellous machine which, whatever use one may wish to put it to, produces homogeneous effects of power" (Foucault 202).

...

...

Until Tsunemori arrived at the MWPSB, Ginoza always paired with Kogami. Even before Kogami was demoted to Enforcer, they often chose to work together on the same cases. After Kogami's Hue darkened, their relationship changed, but that desire to work together didn't, whether or not Ginoza wished it otherwise. Maybe it was out of a sense of familiarity and routine, or perhaps a pathetic kind of desperation, but either way it was comforting to know that some things did not change.

It had started to change though, ever since Tsunemori Akane arrived. Kogami's interest in the young officer had been apparent immediately. It wasn't a romantic interest - or he didn't think it was - which made the relationship so much more frustrating. She asked too many questions and pulled the thoughts out of Kogami that Ginoza had tried to kinds of ideas are exactly what had made Kogami sink so low, and Ginoza could not tolerate the Enforcer's further corruption.

For the first time in a while, Ginoza drove. During the previous pursuit at Oso Academy, Kogami had been injured, and thus left Ginoza with Tsunemori. He knew she was capable - probably even more than he, on paper - but this only left him feeling a little more bitter, particularly as her questions began to sound more and more like Kogami's.

The streets were bright, still wet from the storm. Ginoza wondered sourly if they would have caught Oryo Rikako had it not been raining that day. It was rare - almost unheard of - for a criminal to be at large still after such an extensive manhunt. Ginoza hoped she turned up dead soon so they could start focusing on more important things. This "Makishima" for example - if they found him, chances were they'd find her too.

This led them to now. Tsunemori had dragged Ginoza to the car, citing "someone who could help them." She hadn't mentioned much else beside that, and because they had few other leads, Ginoza had humored her. She directed him towards the MWPSB research building - a place he had never visited - and wondered when she had had the time to visit.

"Why are we going to visit the research labs again?" asked Ginoza.

"There's a researcher there who can help us I think, at least a little." Ginoza raised a brow, and Tsunemori continued gravely, "She went to Oso and seems to have known Makishima well, at least as 'Shibata.' Kogami-san thinks she can help us."

This was a shock to Ginoza, though he tried not to show it. He was a little angry Kogami had never deemed it necessary to report such a figure in the case. He would have to speak to him later about reporting to his superiors.

"What's her name?"

"Nosaka Hotaru - she's a researcher in coefficient technology research and development."

"And how did you meet her?"

"A former teacher of Kogami-san introduced us to her by chance. We went originally to see what they were working on, just in case we might want to use some new equipment in the future. While we were talking about the equipment, she mentioned she had gone to Oso, and we went from there," explained Tsunemori.

"Does she still speak to Makishima?"

"I don't think so."

"Then how the hell do you expect her to know anything?" snapped Ginoza.

Tsunemori went quiet for a moment, and Ginoza silently regretted his harsh tone. After all, she was still mentally recovering from both the underground ordeal and the Memory Scoop. To her credit, she did not even flinch. Finally, she said, "I just have a feeling."

Ginoza rolled his eyes as they continued on, pondering over the waste of time this afternoon was turning out to be.

As most government areas in downtown Tokyo, the road was bright gray and white. The sun glinted blindingly on the water and windows, and as they turned one last corner, the large research complex came into view. They parked and left the car, still not speaking. Ginoza noted that there was surprisingly little security for a place that supposedly housed cutting edge technology.

As they stepped into the concrete building, Tsunemori asked, "What do you think of this building, Ginoza-san?"

Ginoza looked over at her with a narrow glance. His shoes clicked against the tiles of the sterile MWPSB laboratory corridor.

"I have more important things to think about. Why do you ask?" he responded.

Tsunemori didn't respond for a moment, simply staring up at the white, glowing ceiling. Then she said, "Kogami-san mentioned it to me last time we were here - they call this the Brutalist style. Most of our buildings in this style were built in the middle of the 20th century, before the Sibyl System, and were designed as a forward-thinking antithesis of the optimism and lightness earlier in the century. He said it was almost like an act of rebellion."

Ginoza glared silently ahead and ignored her. He would have to speak to Kogami later about filling their junior's head with useless information.

The receptionist was a mousy woman - tiny and delicate like Ginoza's mother - and gave a rodent-like glance at Tsunemori. Ginoza arched a brow as they both gave their IDs.

"The Enforcer didn't come, did he?" asked the woman tinily. Tsunemori looked shocked at the question, and Ginoza rolled his eyes, taking his ID back with a glare. The receptionist looked highly chastised as he turned without a word and moved towards the long hall. Tsunemori scampered after him.

"Are people here really so scared of Enforcers?" she asked quietly with a gloomy air. They stepped past the entry and the door shut behind them.

"That woman is a snivelling twit," said Ginoza sharply. Tsunemori frowned deeply and said nothing.

Ginoza's mother had been the same way, and after his father had been committed as a latent criminal, she had wasted away from the anxiety of knowing what her husband had become. Ginoza seethed quietly, unsure of whom to blame more.

One turn and then there was a door at the end of the corridor. Ginoza sighed as he reached up to knock. The door opened quickly.

The laboratory was larger than he'd expected. He looked around to see young researchers working steadily at table and computers. An older man looked up and frowned at the sight of them, walking over quickly.

"Inspector Tsunemori, this is a surprise. We weren't expecting you," he said with a tense smile.

"Sorry for the unexpected visit, but we'd like to speak to Nosaka-san. Is she here?" said Tsunemori. Kuma frowned.

"Nosaka? Why?"

"That's classified," said Ginoza tersely. He sighed inwardly at the researcher's horrified expression and then added, "We believe she can assist us in a case. Don't worry, she's not under suspicion for anything."

Kuma didn't look any less worried, but he nodded and turned towards the corner. In the back was a young woman with short, inky hair. With a heavy set of headphones on, she didn't seem to have noticed them at all.

"Nosaka!" shouted Kuma. The young woman jumped, frightened, and turned quickly. She was younger than he'd expected. Her eyes widened at the sight of them and she pushed the headphones off. Without prompting, she immediately made her way over. Her lips curved upward as she saw Tsunemori.

"Tsunemori-san, it's so good to see you," said the researcher in a bouncy way. "Did you get my email?"

Ginoza arched a brow at Tsunemori, who had the look of someone who had been caught doing something wrong.

"Email?" he hissed lowly.

"She's been consulting me on recovering surveillance images from the school," explained Tsunemori with a nearly defiant glance up at Ginoza. He glared and looked back at the researcher, who was staring openly at them both. He stood up a little straighter, feeling strangely uncomfortable under her gaze.

"I'm Inspector Ginoza of the CID. We have some more questions for you about Oso," said Ginoza tersely. He already did not like her.

"Did something happen?" she asked. Her voice had a musical quality to it.

"We can discuss it in private," said Ginoza shortly. "Do you have somewhere we can talk?"

"You can use my office," said Kuma guiding them. Ginoza glanced at Tsunemori again, and she gave him a grim nod, following him and Nosaka into the private office. Kuma closed the door behind him. Ginoza wasted no time.

"So you know, we will be recording this conversation," he started quickly. Nosaka's frown only deepened. She sat down carefully as he dove into his questioning. "I'm sure you already have an idea of what we're going to ask you." Tsunemori sat across from Nosaka and smiled reassuringly. Nosaka did not match Tsunemori's expression.

"Not really."

"You haven't heard the news?" asked Ginoza with disbelief. "From Oso."

"I don't really follow the news. Did something happen?" she asked dumbly.

Ginoza stared at her, but she simply continued to frown blankly. Scanning over her face, he suddenly thought to himself that she was an idiot. He looked down to hide his derision.

"Last week, we determined the culprit from the recent string of murders at Oso Academy - a third year student named Oryo Rikako," explained Tsunemori levelly.

"A student?" said Nosaka, blinking.

"Yes, but we believe there was someone else helping her - a teacher."

Nosaka's expression darkened dramatically. Ginoza noted that the hazy color of her eyes gave her expressions a severe quality.

"Someone I know," she concluded.

Ginoza stared at her as she waited for him to continue. That strong sense of dislike only strengthened at the apparent lack of awareness. Most people were nervous in these situations, even when they, like she, were not suspects. The badge usually demanded it.

"When was the last time you were on the Sakurashimo Gakuen campus?" asked Ginoza, shifting the subject. Nosaka frowned.

"The day I graduated," she said.

"And when was that?"

"March 1, 2112."

"That date precisely?"

"I think so," she said, though her tone said she was sure.

"And you haven't been back since?"

"No."

"Have you been in contact with anyone there?"

"No."

"No friends? Teachers?"

"None."

Again, this was unusual. Most people had at least a few friends in the younger years they stayed in contact with even after graduation. Even he still spoke every so often to old friends. He glared openly at her, and her frown remained.

"Am I a suspect?" she asked.

"No," said Tsunemori quickly. Ginoza clenched his fist on the table, which Tsunemori noticed. She immediately stopped talking, but he knew he would still have to reprimand her after this.

"You're not a suspect," agreed Ginoza. He left the statement open on purpose and continued, "But we believe that you know someone we are looking for. His name is Makishima Shogo, also known as Shibata Yukimori."

Ginoza brought his gaze back up to see that deep frown on her face again. For a long minute - Ginoza counted the seconds - she did not speak. Unlike with most people, he could not see the thoughts moving in her head, with even her eyes held in place. She was still like a statue. He decided that she wasn't just an idiot but also an unlikeable one.

"That can't be possible," she finally said. Her voice was soft, more fluttering than he'd first expected of her, but after the long moment of silence, he couldn't be entirely sure he even remembered what she had sounded like before.

"Why do you say that?" he asked.

"I can't see it," she mumbled.

"Why not?"

"I just can't."

Again, the room went silent, and Ginoza's patience was beginning to run thin. He looked at Tsunemori with a mild glare, and she looked at him pleadingly. It only annoyed Ginoza more.

"Have you seen him or been in contact with him recently?" asked Tsunemori.

"No, I haven't spoken to or seen him since I graduated."

"What do you remember about him?"

"He was the art teacher - drawing and painting mostly," she said carefully. Ginoza caught a glimpse of the memories flickering behind her eyes. "I… liked him a lot."

Ginoza listened carefully. A siren began to ring in his head.

"What was he like as a teacher?" he asked.

"Patient, quiet… very kind," continued Nosaka. "I didn't have many friends, so sometimes he invited me to eat lunch in his classroom with him."

They were words Ginoza could not tie to Makishima. Kind? He imagined the man who had held a blade to Funahara Yuki's throat. He could not imagine him doing a single benevolent act. This dumb woman had been conned completely. He glanced and noted with surprise that Tsunemori looked sympathetic for the other woman.

"You seem fond of him still," said Tsunemori softly.

"I am," said Nosaka with a sad smile. "I can't believe… Are you absolutely sure it was him?"

Ginoza looked over at Tsunemori with tact. To her credit, she did not give away the horrors she had witnessed. He generally saw Tsunemori as a child, but his respect for her increased at her stony expression.

He clicked on his wrist panel a few times with a sigh. Scanning through the case files, he pulled up the image extracted from Tsunemori's Memory Scoop. He expanded it with a projection on the wall. He then let the audio recording they had of him play. Tsunemori went pale at his decision without consulting her. He immediately knew from Nosaka's expression that she recognized the voice.

" _Why did you only choose students from within this school for your works of art?"_

" _This academy is a girls' boarding school. What do you think of their education policy, Makishima-sensei?"_

"Ginoza-san, please turn it off," said Tsunemori in a hushed whisper. Ginoza looked at his partner with surprise. Her eyes were wide and focused on the table, and Ginoza felt a pang of guilt for subjecting her to the voice and image of her friend's murderer. He acquiesced and then glanced at the other woman. Nosaka still had not looked away from the image of the culprit. Ginoza shot her one last glance before hitting his panel. The image disappeared, and Tsunemori took a deep breath, as if it had suffocated her.

"Nosaka-san, do you recognize the man in that image as the man you know as Shibata Yukimori?" asked Kogami calmly. She nodded forlornly.

"Yes."

"And do you recognize the voice in this recording as the one belonging to the man you know as Shibata Yukimori?"

"... Yes."

He waited for any change in her expression, but her face was still again. Tsunemori's gaze was a bit cloudier now.

"How did you get that image?" Nosaka finally whispered.

This time, Ginoza waited for Tsunemori to answer. He eyed her silently and saw her mouth go tight, eyes narrowed.

"A man identifying himself as 'Makishima Shogo' kidnapped and murdered a young woman three nights ago," said Tsunemori calmly. He watched Nosaka in detail as she listened, mildly surprised that his partner managed to maintain her even tone. "I pursued and interacted with him. That image was extracted from me via Memory Scoop and compared to the files at Oso Academy, confirming him to also be Shibata Yukimori." Tsunemori paused to catch her breath and then added quietly, "The woman's name is Funahara Yuki. She was my best friend."

Ginoza noted that Tsunemori lied - there were no files to be found regarding said individual at the school. Mysteriously, they had all been erased before they could even check. All signs of him disappeared along with Oryo Rikako. He realized now that the "consultation" Tsunemori had mentioned was Nosaka helping her recover security images.

Nosaka's lips went straight, eyes following. The paleness of her face made the alert expression again more severe. However, her eyes took on that eerie stillness as she stared at Tsunemori.

"You saw him?" she finally murmured. "What a traumatic experience it has been for you." Tsunemori looked touched, but the comment only solidified Ginoza's dislike.

"You're familiar with the Memory Scoop technique then," said Ginoza. "You'll understand then that it's not an easy experience. Tsunemori-san underwent great pains to retrieve that image."

"Yes, I imagine it has been a difficult case," said Nosaka softly. "And I'll do whatever I can to assist you."

"Do you have any other relevant information you can think of? Did he ever mention owning property? Family, interests?" asked Ginoza quickly.

"I don't remember anything like that. He liked philosophy though, particularly Foucault and Descartes. He was also interested in existential literature," she said thoughtfully.

Ginoza sighed and stood up. There was nothing else for them to glean here. He didn't bother looking at Nosaka.

"Let's go."

"Wait."

Ginoza turned to see that strange stare again, eyes still. Ginoza's stomach clenched with discomfort at that hard gaze.

"Where is he now?" she asked.

"That's what we're trying to figure out," he said derisively.

"What will you do when you find him?"

Ginoza stared dumbly again. The idiocy of her questions continued to astound him.

"That depends on him," said Ginoza neatly. He then stood and exited quickly. Tsunemori scrambled after him, leaving Nosaka behind. Kuma looked up from another employee's desk in the lab and frowned as he watched them leave without another word. The door shut behind them cleanly.

"What an idiot," hissed Ginoza. His feet stomped against the tiled floor.

"It seems he was much better to his students as Shibata Yukimori than he was to anyone else as Makishima Shogo," said Tsunemori with deep concern.

"She's an idiot," repeated Ginoza.

"Don't say that. I'd be dumbstruck too if my favorite teacher turned out to be a murderer," said Tsunemori with a frown. "And she might be able to help us if you don't keep insulting her."

"You're joking. You think she could be of any help to us?" mocked Ginoza.

"She's a programming expert. She may be able to recover those images for us."

Ginoza wondered if Tsunemori heard the stupidity of her own words and said so aloud, to which Tsunemori simply shrugged and continued out of the building for the car. The return to the MWPSB was silent, as both officers searched their own minds silently for their next steps. Ginoza was able to disregard the researcher easily, for she were as blank as the stark white laboratory in which they left her.

…

…

Tokyo was a city that never turned off. The electric lights that traced the city were so bright that they blotted out the stars. From space, the city glowed in a single profile, a star in its own right. Everyone was plugged in. Everyone was on. The eye of Sibyl looked into every room, every alley.

But there were still parts of the city where the shadows crept up to blur Sibyl's vision, corners where rats and roaches could hide. On the outskirts and in between lights, there were the non-places of the city - the places where one could disappear if he or she knew where to go. It was in these non-places that Makishima Shogo worked, away from notice.

This particular non-place had been chosen by Choe Gusong, Makishima's associate. Makishima did not know specifically from where Choe came (beyond that he had defected to Japan from Seoul), but he was unconcerned. Choe was one of the only people Makishima was confident in, and he had not been disappointed. His skills as a surveillance expert had so far not met any conflict. Neither their digital footsteps nor their physical ones had been traced, even here in this old industrial building in the center of the textile district.

The production methods used in this building had long been abandoned for faster, more cost-efficient means. Thousands of machines had been left behind along with the building, with large factory floors now scattered with rusty equipment. Perhaps soon the government would arrive to clear the rubble away for another large eye to watch its citizens, but for now, it remained hidden from the flashing lights of the people's Tokyo. Makishima's feet whispered along the concrete floor of the uppermost level through the shadows. At the end to the left was a cracked door.

There was Choe, seated low before a computer. Light glowed in the dark room from his wall of monitors. Various mundane scenes played out on them. A camera over the door turned and focused on Makishima. He smiled and looked up into it. It reminded him of a question he needed to ask Choe.

"Welcome back," said Choe, waving over his shoulder. "How was your adventure?"

"Interesting," said Makishima.

"Did you learn anything?"

"Not much; a bit disappointing, really," said Makishima with a sigh.

"Yes, we'll need to find a new benefactor now that Senguji-san is gone," said Choe, clicking on a few buttons.

"I'm talking about Tsunemori Akane," corrected Makishima. Choe arched a brow.

"Oh?"

"She wouldn't fire the gun," said Makishima. Choe laughed.

"I probably wouldn't have either," he said.

"No? Even with my blade put to your friend's throat?"

"I don't have any friends, so I can't say," said Choe with a fox-like smile.

Makishima smiled back and looked up at the monitors. He asked, "How has your work been since I've been away?"

"Busy. Your friend the Enforcer has been quite active these past few weeks," said the Korean man. The screens flickered brightly with the same face. "These are all the locations Kogami Shinya has been in the past two months," said Choe. "He works primarily with Inspector Tsunemori these days, though he was known to partner with Inspector Ginoza before she joined the MWPSB. He seems to have taken an affinity towards her."

Surveillance footage played on various screens. In each, he saw Kogami with the new inspector, ranging from the MWPSB to the robotic factories outside of the city to the Hayama Kimihiro's apartment. Makishima nodded, a small smile pulling at his mouth as he thought of the young Inspector. Something about her just begged to be ruined.

"What did you think of her, beyond your disappointment?" asked Choe. Makishima shrugged.

"She's innocent," he said simply. Choe smiled and continued to click through footage.

"And Kogami? He seems interesting."

Makishima nodded in agreement. Of course he'd known Kogami had been following him. He wondered why it had taken him so long to catch on, but he was the only one to have followed so closely since Toma had killed that Enforcer three years ago.

"What's he been up to?" asked Makishima.

"Sulking," said Choe with a crooked smile. "He went back to Oryo's crime scenes and the MWPSB research lab for some reason, but he's been under doctor's orders for his injuries from the confrontation last week."

"Ah, yes. Well, I'm sure he'll recover soon and be back at it with his investigation," said Makishima with a smile. "Let's brainstorm gifts for when he gets better."

"Any ideas? We could send flowers," teased the other man.

"Let's keep thinking. It has to be good, something that demands attention," said Makishima, still watching the screens. "Are they still investigating the school?"

"Yes, for the past week, where I'm sure they will eventually find our old equipment. They may find your fingerprints there," said Choe.

"If they were really doing their jobs, they'd have DNA evidence by now," said Makishima. "Did you look into that door at the school I mentioned?"

"Yes, the one that closed on you - I wasn't able to find any traces of someone in the system, but the security footage from that day was all wiped clean by the time I was able to look. Someone clearly hacked in before I did and was able to spot you."

Makishima nodded thoughtfully. It clearly wasn't the MWPSB. They wouldn't have erased anything. However, it was too much of a coincidence for it to be a random hacker. Whoever had slipped into the system had clearly known he was there. The direct focus of that camera over the locked door had told him as much.

"Well, it seems we have a third party entering the game. We'll just have to keep an eye out until something else comes up."

Choe gave a nod of acknowledgement and continued scrolling through files. Something then caught Makishima's eye - a white labcoat.

"Wait. There on Screen 3 - go back 10 seconds. Pause it and expand to fullscreen," said Makishima. The video rewound quickly and then filled the large screen with the image of Kogami and Tsunemori stepping out of a MWPSB building with two older men [one was Kogami's old mentor Saiga Jouji, recalled Makishima automatically] and a young woman in a lab coat. His eyes widened.

"That woman - right there," said Makishima, pointing at the young researcher. "Can you zoom in on her face?"

The image was blurry, but as he zeroed in on her, Makishima recognized her without a doubt. His breath caught in his throat.

Her hair was now cut even shorter than when he'd last seen her, with it now framing her chin. He couldn't make out her features well, but somehow in her blurry smile and posture, he knew it was a young woman he'd known for many years. His mouth pulled into a wide grin, heart pounding.

"What was the date on this feed?" he asked.

"September 23rd," read Choe from his files. "You know her?" Makishima wanted to shout out "Yes!" to the entire world.

"One of my favorite students," said Makishima with a slow grin. "She was classmates with Kirino Toko - Nosaka Hotaru."

"Interesting," mused Choe, looking over her blurry image. "Nosaka Hotaru... Are you sure it's her? I can barely see her face."

"I'm positive," said Makishima. His eyes traced over her face - smiling even through the pixels - and felt something hot build in his gut. "It seems her father finally forced her into the government. Do you know what building that is?"

"Technology and research," said Choe. Makishima's grin broadened.

"Even better," she said. "Get her information. Find out where she lives, where she goes during her time off. I want to know everything about what she does." Choe smirked and nodded, clicking out of the video footage. Makishima stepped out of the dark room onto the roof.

The night air was delicious, he thought. He looked out onto the flashing lights of the city, relishing the strong wind that shook him.

Nosaka Hotaru - he imagined that blank smile. He hadn't thought of it in many years, but it still remained clear in his mind. He saw the light on her dark hair, her grinning face in his classroom. Her eagerness to please had never seemed like such a blessing. Makishima knew in his gut that the coming weeks would be a thrill.

* * *

 **A/N:** Before this chapter are the events surrounding Funahara Yuki's death. The details aren't relevant besides that Akane and Makishima met and Senguji Toyohisa was killed.

 **Sources:**

Foucault, Michel. _Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison_. Trans. Alan Sheridan. New York: Pantheon, 1977.


	6. Truth and Method

**6\. Truth and Method**

…

…

" _This is because knowledge is not made for understanding; it is made for cutting"_ (Foucault, 1984, pg. 88).

…

...

Akane wasn't sure if she like the research building. Since Kogami pointed out the concrete nature of the style, she was unable to shake the authoritative feeling it imposed. Even once they made it inside the sleek white corridors so common for contemporary buildings, she felt that heavy pressure. It didn't fade until she could no longer see the building from the rearview mirror as they drove away.

After meeting with Nosaka in December, Akane had gone with Ginoza another few times to speak with the researcher. It was now February, and Kogami instead drove them to the research facility, finally fully recovered. The relief on Ginoza's face when he was relieved of his temporary position as Akane's partner had almost been insulting.

She'd be lying if she said she weren't also relieved though. Kogami was just as taciturn as Ginoza and nearly as moody, but Akane felt immensely more comfortable in the Enforcer's company. His words weren't as sharp as Ginoza's, his observations a bit more open for discussion. It left Akane space to reach out without fear of her hands being slapped away.

There was a new edge to him though, sharper after their journey into the Tokyo underground. While recovering from his injuries, he'd been quiet, and even after getting released from the hospital, he seemed to be constantly in deep thought. So when he'd asked Akane if they could go speak to Nosaka Hotaru at the technology and research labs, she had cautiously agreed, eager for a chance to finally see what had been cycling through his head.

The car ride was quiet, save for Akane's quick review of her and Ginoza's meeting with the researcher. She was sure he had already listened to the recording of their last interview, but if he wanted to hear it from her, she was willing to oblige. Everything he did was with reason. If he wanted to know her opinion on cats and dogs, she would tell him, only to know what he gleaned from the seemingly

The receptionist at the desk wasn't pleased to see Kogami return, but he barely paid her any mind. They made their way through the bright white corridors without easily, and as they knocked on the door to the Coefficient Capture and Analysis lab, Akane took a breath. Kuma answered the door.

"Officer Tsunemori," he said. She noted that his greeting was not as warm as it had been the first two times. His smile leaned in a bland line. "You're back. Officer Kogami, too."

"I'm very sorry to be inconveniencing you again, Kuma-sensei, but- "

Kuma didn't bother waiting for Akane to ramble through her pleasantries. He turned and called, "Nosaka!" before walking away from the doorway entirely. Akane and Kogami peered in to see the young researcher making her way to them. Her face lit up at the sight of Akane and Kogami.

Akane couldn't even ask Kuma to use his office. He threw the door open and walked away just as Nosaka met them.

"Kogami-san, welcome back," greeted Nosaka happily. "Tsunemori-san, you look nice. Did you get a haircut?"

"Oh, yes, I did. Thank you," said Akane, surprised. It had been a week since Akane had her hair trimmed.

"Sorry for bothering you again at work," Kogami said. Akane thought to herself that he didn't sound sorry at all. "Is this an okay time?"

"It's okay. Kuma-sensei is in a bad mood today, so I'm grateful to get out of his way for a bit," said Nosaka, ducking into said-supervisor's office.

"Did something happen?" asked Akane.

"Nothing directly having to do with us," said Nosaka. She paused thoughtfully as she sat down. "I guess I can tell you, since you're detectives. The IT department found traces of a hack in our system last night. The higher-ups are having a fit, thinking someone is trying to steal our research."

"Did they find any corrupted data?" Akane had no idea how Nosaka seemed so relaxed.

"That's the weird thing - there was no evidence of any files getting stolen, no viruses, no corrupted data. Someone just broke into our system and looked around without touching anything."

"You don't seem concerned," noted Kogami. Nosaka shrugged.

"It doesn't affect my paycheck or anything big. I think knowledge should be free anyway."

"You're not bothered by the thought of someone taking your ideas?" asked Akane.

"If someone takes my work and does it better, then that's great. It just means I have to work harder, too." She grinned. "But that won't happen, so I don't need to."

"You're pretty confident."

"I'm good at my job," she said. "Anyway, did you find anything out about the case? I'm assuming that's why you're here."

Kogami nodded and put his hand on the table. After a few clicks on his wrist, an image appeared.

"Will you please confirm that you recognize the person in the photograph as Shibata Yukimori?" asked Kogami, showing a holographic image of the white-haired man. Nosaka's eyes narrowed.

"I already told Officer Tsunemori I do."

"I just want to confirm again for myself, since I wasn't here last time," said Kogami, turning the image off. "Ginoza and Tsunemori say you've been very helpful in my absence. Thank you for cooperating with them. I know these things can be draining. Would you mind if I asked a few more questions?"

Nosaka cocked her head to the side curiously and stared at Kogami for a moment in silence. He matched her, impassive. Akane wondered just what the woman was looking for, what she was thinking behind those strange, still eyes. She smiled. Akane still couldn't pinpoint why the shifting of Nosaka's expressions seemed stilted.

"You know, you kind of remind me of him - Shibata-sensei," she finally said. Even Kogami looked surprised at her comment. Nosaka's lips curled up just slightly at his reaction. "I've been thinking about it since you first came here. Something in the way you hold yourself - it's very familiar."

"In what way?" asked Akane, a bit too panicked for her liking. She detested the idea that Kogami was anything like Makishima and wanted to erase any notion of it. Nosaka gestured to her shoulders.

"Something in the posture, the way he holds his head." Nosaka slid back in her seat, and her shoulders slid and settled smoothly into a position that was exactly like Kogami's. "Shibata-sensei also sat like that."

The way she smiled made something in Akane bristle. She wanted to deny it, but the simple shift in posture was disturbingly accurate, and if she allowed herself, Akane could perfectly picture Makishima sitting across from Kogami in that same way.

"Is that relevant somehow?" asked Kogami. His expression was unchanged. He still sat back as Nosaka did. She smiled and shook her head.

"No, it just occurred to me suddenly, now that I've seen you again. You're obviously nothing like him." Her lips quirked lopsidedly. "It's interesting how people from such different circumstances can take on similar traits and mannerisms though, isn't it?"

Akane's eyes narrowed. It was a harmless observation, but the comparison between her partner and her target was alarming. As she glanced at Kogami again, all she could see was the arrogant stance of the man who had murdered her friend. She wanted to splash cold water on her face to erase the image.

"Anyway, you had questions."

"Yes, how long did you know him?"

"A couple of years - he began teaching in the art department during my second year at Oso."

"When was the first time you spoke to him outside of class?"

"It was probably early on that year," she said thoughtfully. "We didn't talk much that year though, mostly small talk. I don't really remember."

"Try."

Nosaka arched a brow but paused as she thought. "We dissected a lot of things that year in biology class. He complained about the formaldehyde during that time, had a sensitive nose." She paused and scrunched her nose. "I guess in light of his association with Toma-sensei, that memory is kind of gross," she added. Akane's stomach churned at the thought.

"Is that the only comment he made to you about that class?"

"I think we talked once about fetal pigs. He didn't like them."

"He thought they were gross?"

"He thought they were sad."

Kogami's expression didn't change, but he paused, staring hard at Nosaka. The woman still wore that disgusted twist of her nose.

"Did you enjoy biology class, Nosaka-san?" he finally asked.

"Of course. I'd have to in order to do what I do now."

"There's not a lot of dissecting of flesh in your profession."

"No, but everything I work on is ultimately used by people," she said. "And in order to most effectively design machinery for people, I have to have at least a basic understanding of humans mechanics."

"You said when we first met that you often spoke to Makishima about philosophy. Did you enjoy that, too?"

"Not really." She smiled sheepishly. "I just liked hearing him talk about it. It was a little boring on its own, to be honest."

"Then why is that what you talked about as opposed to, say, politics?"

"We talked a little about that, too. It was never about a specific topic. When you're bored, you're willing to talk about anything as long as the person you're talking to is smart."

"You couldn't find that with your classmates?"

"Oso Academy doesn't accept girls on the basis of something so useless as intellect," scoffed Nosaka.

Kogami went quiet again. Akane wondered if he empathized with her. Akane herself had always excelled and found little match for her abilities in those around her, but she had never felt that absence with pain. She had always just assumed it meant she needed to use her talents for others who couldn't do things for themselves. It was why she chose the MWPSB after seeing that no one else scored as suitable by the Sibyl System. Perhaps others felt that singling out more negatively.

"If you hadn't joined the MWPSB, what would you have done professionally?" asked Akane.

"I'd have done the same thing, just with a private company," said Nosaka.

"You wouldn't have pursued something like medicine or engineering in another field? I'm sure someone of your abilities scored well in other areas."

"I definitely couldn't have done medicine. I don't care enough about other people." Akane frowned at the woman's dismissive attitude.

"You just said you work to help people."

"No, I understand people to work. I don't really care if people like my machines or not." Nosaka paused for a moment. "No, that's not right. I want people to get use out of what I make. I just don't particularly care about their personal matters. I think you have to care about those things to be a good doctor." She smiled at Akane. "You would've been a good doctor, Tsunemori-san. You have a very gentle bedside manner."

"O-oh, um, thank you," said Akane, not sure of how to receive the compliment. Kogami let out an almost inaudible sigh.

"So back to Makishima. When would you say that you started speaking more in depth with him?" he asked.

"Maybe in the winter? It was a very casual thing. We only had in-depth conversations a handful of times."

"Did he ever seek you out beyond class?"

"No, it was always me harassing him," she said, smiling a bit.

"Was he your favorite teacher?"

"He was my favorite to annoy. I liked other teachers' subjects more."

"Did you have the same report with them?"

"I had similar banter I guess, but we didn't necessarily talk about philosophy or anything like that."

"Which writers did Makishima enjoy discussing?"

"He liked Nietzche a lot and a bit of Freud. I'd say his favorite was Foucault though."

"Foucault?" said Kogami, hands tensing for a brief moment.

"Have you read him?" asked Nosaka, interested.

"Yes."

"You seem like someone who would enjoy Foucault."

"Why is that?" asked Akane. She felt a little ashamed for not knowing who Foucault was.

"Foucault wrote at length about the relationship between power and knowledge and how that dynamic is exerted in social relationships," said Kogami, barely looking away at Nosaka. She seemed deeply satisfied to hear his explanation. "He asserts that knowledge is used to exert control over those with less power and then is reshaped by those with power to continue and strengthen their control."

Akane ran through the diagram in her head and nodded slowly. She agreed with Nosaka'a assessment. Kogami clearly was someone who would find great interest in such a thinker. Nosaka smiled at Kogami in that strange way, and Akane did not wish to hear her comparison between men again.

"So Makishima liked Foucault," said Akane. "What's your opinion?"

"Personally, I think Foucault gives the powerful too much credit. Most people would choose a reshaped truth if it meant that they prospered, even while oppressed," said Nosaka. "And most people wouldn't even know they were being oppressed if the powerful were competent enough."

"I agree," said Kogami with a nod. His gaze was intense, settled entirely on Nosaka. "But that doesn't mean we should let ourselves become compliant." Nosaka smiled gently. It softened her pale face.

"I agree," she said.

For a long moment, they were quiet, the discussion naturally concluding. Akane tried not to shift or break their silent understanding, though she felt a pang of envy. She had still been unable to achieve such easy clarity with the Enforcer.

"I have a proposal for you," said Kogami finally, his voice like dripping ink. "I ask you to hear me out before you make a decision."

Akane's shoulders tightened at his tone. He didn't inform her of anything like this when she agreed to come with him here. Nosaka nodded warily.

"We have been able to determine a general range for where Makishima may be. I'd like you to contact him."

Akane's eyes flew open.

"Kogami-san," she said. He gave her that impassive expression that told her to humor him. "Kogami-san," she repeated.

He ignored her, and continued, "It wouldn't be anything intense. We just need to locate him and confirm his identity."

"You just did," responded Nosaka.

"In the flesh."

Akane didn't like any of this. No matter how Kogami wished to play it down, knowingly placing a civilian in the presence of such a criminal was undoubtedly dangerous. Makishima had never harmed Nosaka during their acquaintance, but they could not know for sure if that were from lack of intent or lack of success. After all, he had shown that he was not above manipulating students, or even disposing of them.

Nosaka's expression didn't change from that guarded gaze. She asked, "Why me?"

"He knows you already, and if what you've told us is true, then he'd have a natural inclination to trust you," said Kogami, ignoring Akane's look of horror. Nosaka's lips tightened.

"But he's dangerous."

"Yes!" gasped Akane finally. "He is! How could you ask her to do that?"

"She's the only person in the MWPSB who has ever had a relationship with him that we know of. Do you have another plan?" countered Kogami. His tone was even, but Akane saw that narrow edge in his eyes.

"Well, n-no, but… it doesn't matter! She's still a civilian!" argued Akane.

Kogami eyed her carefully, but Akane held her ground. She felt a growl bubbling at the back of her throat at the very thought of endangering the young woman. Nosaka looked between them with that quiet expression.

"Kogami-san, I've seen how dangerous he is," whispered Akane so that only Kogami could hear her. "We can't put her in that danger. I… I'll never forgive myself if she gets hurt."

Kogami met her gaze heavily. She felt her mouth begin to tremble as she imagined Yuki's bare neck, Makishima's blade slicing through it like one of Nosaka's dead fetal pigs. She jumped as she felt Kogami's hand subtly touch hers under the table.

"Trust me. We won't let him get away this time," he whispered. "Trust me."

There was no room to argue, not when Kogami had already made up his mind. They turned, the last decision being Nosaka's. Her stare was cloudy and still again, as if she had turned to stone. She stared, almost at nothing. The room was silent, even without breath.

"I have some concerns," she finally said breathlessly. Her voice seemed to set the world spinning again.

"Of course," said Kogami.

"My coefficient," said Nosaka, shifting uncomfortably. "It's… risen a bit since I started working with you."

"You should have said something," said Akane quickly.

"It wasn't anything dramatic. I knew I could take care of it on my own as long as my involvement remained so minimal, but this seems like more than I can handle alone."

"We can arrange for you to meet regularly with a department therapist."

"I'd appreciate that. I'd also like to make sure my father doesn't know about my involvement."

"Your father?" asked Akane.

"Representative Nosaka Hideyoshi," said Kogami, "Head of the Science and Technology Committee in the House of Representatives."

"You knew."

"It's my job to know," said Kogami. Akane felt the sting of his words painfully.

"You don't want him to know about you working with us?" she asked.

"My father is… rather conservative. One of the reasons I chose to work in the government instead of with a private institution is because he wanted me to have the extra security." She gave them a pointed look, and Akane understood the irony. "He sent me to Oso Academy. I think that really says it all."

"Understood. I'd rather not have someone like him interfering with our work anyway," said Kogami. "No one beyond our unit will know."

"Thank you."

Kogami smirked triumphantly, and Akane glared at him but found she couldn't argue. It was Nosaka's choice after all, no matter how foolish. Akane had a terrible feeling in her gut. Kogami stood and Akane followed.

"Great. Thank you, Nosaka-san. We will need to prep you for your initial contact, so please stay available in the coming week or so."

"So soon?"

"We have to move quickly." Kogami paused and glanced back at her. "I think it goes without saying, but everything said between us here and in email is to remain confidential."

"Of course."

Kogami and Akane's walk to the car was silent. Kuma eyed them warily as they exited the laboratory.

"How long have you been planning on using her in this case?" she finally asked as they drove away. Kogami had the decency to slightly flinch.

"Who says it didn't come to me right then?"

"Don't lie. You didn't tell me you wanted her to work with us," said Akane.

"I knew you wouldn't approve."

"Of course not! She's not an agent. She has no training."

"She's smart and resourceful, and as far as we know, she's known Makishima longer than anyone else. She's the best choice we have."

"We could disguise an actual agent. We can put a holograph on me and send me out in her place." Kogami eyed her almost with annoyance.

"Do you really think you're good enough of an actress to pull that off?" he asked. Akane flushed. "And do you think Makishima is stupid enough to fall for an impostor? He'd see through you the second you opened your mouth."

"You don't think he'll see through Nosaka?" she countered.

"She'll at least be able to get a few words out, and we'll have our man."

"But what if we aren't able to find him?"

Kogami was quiet for a moment. The streetlights came flickering on as the sun dipped low. His face glowed orange in the evening light.

"He'll come." His tone was sure, and Akane had no choice but to believe him. She just prayed Nosaka was as resourceful as he seemed to think she was.

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I own no rights to _Psycho-Pass_ _._ This story is written as a piece of fanwork without profit or claims.

...

 **Sources:**

Foucault, M. (1984). Nietzsche, genealogy, history (pp. 76-100), in P. Rabinow (Ed.) The Foucault reader. New York: Pantheon.


	7. Docile Bodies

...

...

" _The individual body becomes an element that may be placed, moved, articulated on others. Its bravery or its strength are no longer the principal variables that define it; but the place it occupies, the interval it covers, the regularity, the good order according to which it operates its movements. The soldier is above all a fragment of mobile space, before he is courage or honour_ " (Foucault 164).

...

...

 **7\. Docile Bodies**

Akane chewed hard on her lip. Arms crossed, her fingers dug into her arms as she observed the woman in the interrogation room. A physician, her file said, top grades at Oso and Tokyo University. Her hair was cut in a bob with a severe line, clothes demanding authority. She was a woman who had obviously worked hard and expected that her efforts be met with results. If Akane looked hard, she could see a mirror of herself in a different reality, one that had perhaps made her a little harder, a little colder. She could be the one sitting at the metal table, impatient to return back to work.

Kogami stepped up beside her, file in hand. Akane had already memorized it, as she was sure he had. His expression was impassive as he stared at the woman inside.

"Nosaka referred us to a diverse group of women." Akane nodded.

"It's interesting to see how women from the same type of upbringings and education branched out on their own." The woman checked her watch and sighed impatiently for the tenth time. "We should go in."

"Just one more minute," said Kogami. She arched a brow.

"It's already been thirty minutes."

"I know. I want her to be pissed."

"Why would you want that?"

"It'll make her more frank with her answers. Have you heard from Nosaka yet?"

"No, nothing. I told her to not to reach out to us even if Makishima makes contact. Karanomori-san is surveilling her apartment and lab."

"He won't make contact there. Where he contacts her, it'll be somewhere he can disappear easily."

Akane looked at him narrowly and waited for an explanation, but he said nothing else, simply staring at the physician with that calm slouch of his shoulders. Akane's eyes glanced down to his posture and recalled Nosaka's comparison to Makishima. She had caught herself thinking about it more and more often these days. She jumped slightly when Kogami's eyes slid to meet her stare.

"Yes?"

"N-Nothing!" she squeaked. He arched a brow.

"You've been looking at me a lot recently."

"Have I?" said Akane stiffly.

For a moment, Kogami was quiet. That narrow look he'd given the physician was now directed at her, and Akane considered what a terrible predicament it would be to be on the opposite side of an interrogation table from him. To her great relief, his eyes moved back to the physician.

"Don't think too hard about it. It'll affect your Hue," he said.

Just when the physician looked at her watch again, Kogami made his way to the door. Akane followed.

"Souma-sensei, thank you for coming in. I hope you didn't wait long," he said. The physician didn't look amused.

"Can we hurry this up? I'm on a tight schedule today," she said. Akane thought dully that Kogami had succeeded in getting a blunt response.

"Yes, we'll make it brief. I'm Detective Kogami. This is my partner Detective Tsunemori. We just have a few questions and then we'll let you go."

"Can you tell me what this is about first?"

"A colleague of ours who attended Oso referred us to you, hoping you could help us out with a case."

"Who?"

"Nosaka Hotaru."

"Nosaka?" Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Is there something wrong with that?" asked Akane.

She was silent for a moment, and Akane understood why Kogami had wanted her angry and brash. Souma's sharp tongue seemed to roll up warily. "No," she finally said.

"You two were classmates, correct?" said Kogami.

"Yes."

"Not close though, I'm guessing."

"No." She stared hard at Kogami, her eyes magnified behind her glasses. "Is she a suspect for something?" Akane found the question odd.

"Why, do you expect her to be?" countered Kogami. Souma's eyes narrowed.

"No."

"Have you two been in contact since graduating?"

"No."

"Do you know anyone who has?"

"No." Akane found her one-word answers grating. Kogami sat back in his seat slightly, unimpressed. He gave her a slight smile, humorless.

"I find it curious you're not interested in how she's doing now," he said mildly.

The glare Souma shot him was acidic.

"Well, I'll get to the point then. The reason we brought you in is to discuss Touma Kozaburo. Maybe you remember him," said Kogami. Souma openly winced.

"So that's what this is about," she hissed.

Kogami didn't acknowledge her comment. "I'd like you to tell us about your experience with him - what he was like as a teacher, whom he spoke to among the faculty, things like that."

Souma shifted uncomfortably, eyes darting to the table. Her crossed arms took on a different posture, less aggressive. Her narrowed eyes took on a hardened glint. "I don't know. He was nice I guess," she said stiffly.

"You had him for history class I believe."

"Yes."

"Did you enjoy his class?"

"More or less. I didn't care for history, but he made it… bearable."

"How is that?"

She shifted again, mouth pulling. Akane watched as she struggled to confront the memories she had probably buried down.

"I much preferred science and math. I'm a doctor, after all. Old dead men hold no interest for me, but he - Touma-sensei… He made it a little easier to pay attention."

Kogami nodded thoughtfully. As Souma spoke about her former teacher, her arms loosened slightly. The hardness in her gaze seemed to soften slightly, sadly. Akane thought about the mourning beneath the accusations.

"He was an engaging teacher."

"Very."

"I'm sure you were shocked when you found out what happened then, betrayed even," said Kogami. Souma shivered slightly, and Akane knew Kogami was onto something. "You were fond of him."

"Everyone was," said Souma defensively.

"I'm not trying to imply anything. There was obviously more to him than a nice face, considering how well-liked he was." She looked somewhat relieved. "How much did you speak to him outside of class?"

"I said hello in passing and sometimes spoke to him in groups of friends, but I can't recall any significant one-on-one conversations. Thank god."

"Were you close to Kirino Toko?" Her eyes crinkled slightly. For a moment, she was silent. Memories flickered against the sheen of her glasses.

"She was a good friend. I wouldn't say we were especially close, but I liked her. She was… sweet," said Souma softly.

"Do you remember her interacting with Touma ever?" asked Akane.

"Never outside of class. We were all so shocked when he… when he did that," said Souma uncertainly.

"What kind of subjects did she like? Was she in any clubs?" asked Kogami.

"She liked English literature. She sucked at math," said Souma with a wistful smile. "She was the president of the Photography Club; excited about the Cultural Fair. They were organizing an exhibition."

"Photography?" echoed Kogami softly. Akane practically heard his thoughts in her own head. Makishima had been the art teacher, so wouldn't he have been involved in such a club?

"Who was their faculty advisor?" she asked.

"I think it was Takagi-sensei from the music department."

"Were the art department teachers involved with the club?"

"I think Fujiyama-sensei lent them equipment, but I don't know much else."

"Do you remember what kind of cameras? Digital or analog?"

"I think analog. I remember Toko talking about developing film."

"Do you know where they would do that?"

"Somewhere in the basement I think. I never went down there."

"Were there other classrooms there?"

"No, just a few utility rooms. We weren't allowed to go any farther than that."

"I see. What club were you in, if I may ask?"

"Student Government."

"I can see that. And just curious, do you remember what club Nosaka was in?"

Again, Souma visibly tensed at the mentioning of Nosaka's name. Akane didn't look away as she shifted again in her seat.

"She tried to start her own club but no one would join - Robotics."

"Really? That seems like something you would enjoy, considering your scientific pursuits," noted Kogami. Souma nearly flushed.

"I wanted some executive experience," she said defensively. The wall came back up. Kogami nodded, sensing that the line of questioning was over.

"I see. Well, thank you for coming in, Souma-sensei. One of our colleagues will show you out," he said. Akane followed. "This is still an active investigation, so whatever was discussed here today must remain confidential. You understand."

"I still don't understand what the case is about. They already caught Touma," said Souma narrowly.

"I'm afraid we can't discuss that at the moment. We'll update you as we need. Be safe driving back to your office."

They bowed and stepped out of the office. Akane felt the woman's sharp stare at her back.

"I don't really see what we got out of her," said Akane quietly as they walked briskly back to their offices.

"Not a lot," he admitted, "but she gave a few interesting facts."

"Like what?"

"The Photography Club."

"But Makishima wasn't their advisor."

"No, but they had a darkroom in the basement - a basement the students weren't allowed to explore, but the faculty surely were permitted to use facilities as they needed."

"Should we call Nosaka back while we investigate the basements?"

"No. If we catch Makishima, then the basements will be unimportant. Keep her in the field."

Akane wanted to ask more - about Nosaka's safety, about Kirino Toko, about Souma Emi - but Kogami had that hard glint in his gaze again. When they reached the office, he buried himself in files and papers, and even as Akane left late that night, he still had not come up for air.

Stepping out onto the sidewalk, Akane looked up into the sky. The late March night was still cold. As Akane watched the light catch the mist of her breath, she thought of Nosaka Hotaru's cold face and hoped that she was at home safe. She hoped that they caught Makishima before he even thought to find Nosaka.

...

...

Despite Akane's wishes, it didn't take long for Choe Gu-sung to locate the woman in the lab coat. Choe delivered a thorough profile on the researcher the day after Makishima had spotted her in the surveillance footage.

For weeks he'd watched her, followed her, shadowed her every step. She was a specter brushing against the world around her, never taking hold or giving into the touch of the city. She led a spartan life. Arriving at the laboratory early and leaving late, Nosaka Hotaru seemed to care little for anything but work. She ate simple, repetitive meals and occasionally exercised late at night in her apartment, which was located on the quiet edge of the government sector. Her weekends were spent reading or studying robotics. In those weeks, he didn't see her meet or contact anyone but her father. He got the impression that she wouldn't even do that if she were not so obligated.

Only once did her routine change. Two weeks into his surveillance, Choe reported that Tsunemori Akane had come to speak to Nosaka at the lab. They went out for an hour and returned with little bags of leftovers. After Tsunemori left, Nosaka returned to her ascetic life. The detective texted her a few times about mundane things Makishima found no interest in, and he was almost positive Nosaka felt the same.

After that, he dismissed Choe from watching her and took up the task himself, determined to keep her quiet existence for himself. In her economical, intentional silence he simultaneously saw more than in the millions of screaming voices that shook Tokyo. She was a blank canvas, something to carve his will into. This being was his and his alone - to know, to have, to consume. He would tear her from her quiet existence to use as he pleased and thrust her into his furious rebellion.

But surely Kogami had warned her of him. In his short but full life, he had learned that there was no such thing as coincidence. Even if Kogami and Nosaka had met by chance, the enforcer was too sharp to let her background slip by unnoticed. If he had not told her who Makishima was, he had at least decided to keep watch. Makishima knew this with his entire being.

But he wanted to test that idea. If Kogami were as sharp as Makishima wanted him to be, then he was surely waiting for Makishima to appear. Nosaka was the bait for the big catch, and Makishima could not assume that the researcher was not in on the game.

She had always been a tricky student with a mischievous streak. She liked a little risk, and he loved the idea of showing the spoiled girl just what danger she had fallen into, intentional or not. Makishima would take the pristine bait Kogami had cast and defile it. He couldn't wait to see how Kogami would react to find his pretty informant ruined.

And so he had made a decision.

There she was.

For a few moments, he simply stood in the crowd to assess her before approaching. As he'd seen in the surveillance footage her hair was cut short. It was sleek and dark in the flashing lights, her face relaxed and content. He hadn't expected her to change drastically in the two years he hadn't seen her, but something about the consistency of her appearance pleased him.

She'd always been a moderately attractive girl, but something about her left little impression on those around her. As he followed her slowly, he noticed that the crowd seemed to engulf her almost seamlessly, though she showed no signs of discomfort. She slipped and wound through the sea of people with no effort, and Makishima wondered for a moment if he might lose sight of her.

But then she stopped and looked into the yellow light of a local izakaya. Her gray eyes glowed glassily, almost in a daze. Makishima wondered momentarily if she had somehow heard him silently calling out to her and hurried forward before he lost his chance. She seemed to be in such a trance that he wondered if she'd even notice him as he knocked into her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" he said with fake horror. She let out a little yelp and then, to his surprise, laughed as he grabbed hold of her arm to steady her. He realized it was the first time he had heard her laugh in all the time he'd watched her.

"Ouch! It's okay, I'm fine. Thank you for-"

Her sentence stopped, and those glassy eyes were focused on him with all the genuine surprise that he'd faked. Her mouth opened slightly, and he wondered if she would scream. Surely, she knew. She knew what he was.

But then her face lit up like the paper lantern behind her, and for the first time, he doubted himself with her.

"Shibata-sensei." He plastered on a happy grin.

"Nosaka-kun. What a surprise," he said.

"You're telling me! I can't believe it's you!" she said happily. Her face was upturned towards him like a flower seeking the sun. It glowed in the warm light. He doubted himself again. This was not the austere woman he had shadowed. Kogami had surely filled her with his warnings.

"Indeed. I almost didn't recognize you for a moment," he lied. "I had no idea I'd ever run into you in a place like this."

"Yes, it's been a long time! Three years, right? How have you been?" she asked quickly. She took a step forward. Would someone jump out to ambush him? He didn't back away.

"I'm quite well. How are you?"

"Same. What are you doing in Tokyo? Are you still working at Oso?" she asked. The eagerness practically dripped off of her. She was opaque, unreadable.

"No, I quit recently. I'm living here now," he said, "taking a break from teaching."

"You were such a good teacher though," she said. He smiled.

"I'm sure I'll dive back into it again soon," he said. He supposed that wasn't a lie. He still had a lot to offer to young, desperate people. What would make her desperate?

"So you're just hanging out in the city?" she asked.

"Something like that. What are you doing these days?"

"I'm working in the research department at the Ministry of Welfare."

"How's your father feel about that?" he asked with a smirk.

"Pleased that I have a government job, displeased because it's research," she laughed. "Compromises."

"Compromises are good," he said.

It had been awhile since Makishima had spoken to a woman so casually, and from the way she chewed at her lip and fidgeted, he knew he could push her further, faster. Seduction was not a task he regularly enjoyed and, if needed, he left it to others to do for him, but after all the years of restraint from his dark fantasies of corrupting the innocent bodies around him, he considered how sweet it would be to finally cut into the flesh of one who thought she stood a chance against him.

He looked her over slowly, deliberately. He could practically see the shiver run up her spine, and pleasure trickled in his own gut at the sight of her sensitivity. He wanted to see what reaction should would have if he carved into that pale neck.

"You look good," he said lowly.

Makishima wondered if arousal could be condensed into a single expression. If it could, the dilated daze on Nosaka's face would surely be a candidate. Could she be such a good actress? Wasn't she afraid?

"You do, too, sensei," she said back breathily.

"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked, stepping just a few inches closer and nodding to the pub behind her. He imagined she would shatter into a million pieces if he even ran a finger along her arm.

"Yeah," she said quickly.

He gave a slight bow of his head for her to lead, and she shot him a simmering smile as she turned to enter the izakaya. The smile fell from Makishima's face as he followed, watching the young woman in front of him. She carried only a small bag over modest clothing. There were a finite amount of places where she could be bugged, but it didn't matter. No matter what Kogami thought, Makishima would win out in this battle of wills. He would take his time. He wanted to relish Kogami's despair when he found out he had sent this poor woman to her death.

* * *

 **A/N:** I feel the need to write a **disclaimer** here as we go forward. The dynamics in this story are not to be taken as admirable or a depiction of healthy relationships. There will be descriptions of violence, mental illness including psychopathy, and abuse. If you find issues with any of these topics, stop reading now. If you continue, please don't take the story seriously.

...

 **Sources:**

Foucault, M., & Sheridan, A. (2012). Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison. New York, NY: Vintage.


	8. Memory 21110313

**8\. Memory 21110313**

Detention in a school like Sakurashimo was rare. Makishima didn't subscribe to gender stereotypes but he had to admit that girls seemed less inclined to cause trouble, at least in a school such as this. The social pressures of good behavior - ladylike behavior - were strong enough to keep the students in line. On the rare occasion that there was punishment handed it out, it was usually to curb competition between students.

So it was odd that Makishima would be called to supervise detention. Otherwise, it were as average a day as any other. The corridors were still cool and quiet with the remnants of winter, and most students were in their club activities. One girl sat in his classroom, elbows jutting out angrily as she sat the desk at the window. She looked up at him as he entered.

"Nosaka," he greeted.

"Shibata-sensei."

He sat down at his desk. She turned her head towards the window to stare out into the colorless sky. It reflected in her blank face. He noted that the blackboard had already been washed, the desks glistening.

"How long have you been here?"

"Twenty minutes." He admired her efficiency.

"What will you do for the next forty?"

"I'm supposed to reflect on my bad behavior," she said dully. He arched a brow.

"What did you do exactly, if I may be so bold?"

"I refused to do the homework in English Lit."

"Why is that?"

"It's boring," she said with a shrug. "There are better things I could do with my time."

"What was the assignment on?"

" _Romeo and Juliet._ "

"Ah." Makishima enjoyed Shakespeare but he found the man's most popular play to be melodrama. "You don't enjoy romance?"

"Romance is a sedative The Man gives to girls to make them compliant." Makishima snorted unexpectedly. Teenagers could still surprise him, it seemed.

"That's a rather harsh criticism. Whom exactly do you accuse of being 'The Man?'"

"My father, the government, this school." She looked up at him. "You." Makishima couldn't help but grin. Her face twitched but she kept her expression impassive; afraid to express her disdain, perhaps. As much as she wished to say otherwise, the school had ingrained some of its lessons into her.

"What makes you say that?"

"All they want is to control us. If you don't fall in line, they throw you in detention."

"Order is the basis for peaceful society," said Makishima. He wondered how true that was.

"But what good is order if it's not based on logic?" she countered.

"Are you implying you didn't do your assignment because of logic?" he said archly.

"I don't see the logic in being forced to do it. What does Shakespeare have to do with 22nd century Japan?"

She turned to look out at the sky again. Makishima scanned over her profile and wondered how useful she could be to him. She was resentful, yes, but there was no malice in her that he could sense. If he offered to help her wreak revenge on Handa-sensei the English teacher, she'd probably recoil with horror. Moody teenager, yes; a latent criminal she was not.

But he was bored. In the year he had been at Sakurashimo Gakuen, his investment in Touma Kozaburo had not resulted in as much as he had hoped. The man was a slave to his own desires, and though criminally asymptomatic, he had no interest in the workings of society or higher thinking. Eventually he would allow his urges to get the better of him, and when that time came, Makishima would need to find a new instrument.

He watched Nosaka idly. Could petulance be funneled into deeper action? He had nothing else to entertain himself at the moment. He would see how far he could push her.

"Have you ever read the works of Foucault?" he asked. She turned and frowned.

"Foo-koh?"

"Michel Foucault." He spelled it out for her. "He was a French thinker from the 20th century."

"Ugh, another dead white man?" she said, rolling her eyes.

"I think you'd like this dead white man. He had some interesting ideas about social hierarchy and knowledge."

"What's that even mean?" Makishima sighed inwardly as he assessed the glaring girl at the desk.

"He purported that knowledge is used by the powerful to justify their rule and continuously shape society so that they remain in power."

"Give me an example," she said bluntly.

"Say, the United States of America. In the 20th and 21st centuries, the government there used propaganda to assert that communism was Enemy Number 1 as a way to justify their involvement in foreign affairs. They pointed to the dictatorships of Soviet Russia and Cuba and used them to frame communism as the enemy of freedom and free will. After that, anything that even smelled of Marxism was automatically labeled as 'evil' in order to push forward the capitalist foundation of the country, eventually creating such a vast socioeconomic divide that the country tore itself apart."

"So then why continue the narrative? Didn't they see that it would drive them to ruin?"

"The powerful are often reluctant to give up their power and blind to the repetitions of history."

"The faculty here better be careful then or I'll start a coups," said Nosaka petulantly. Makishima sighed.

"You only have one year left and then you'll be able to do whatever you want," he said.

"It's not about now. It's about the principle." His chest thrummed a bit at her response. Even if she was complaining about a petty detention, it rang truer in his heart than she'd ever know.

"Well, then, make sure you study hard so that you can be an effective dissident."

"I didn't realize dissidents needed to be well-read."

"Idiots can disrupt the status quo. Only those who take the time to understand their beliefs in the context of history can make their ideas into reality." He repeated this in his heart. Nosaka seemed to roll it around in her head. She grinned a lazy cat's smile.

"I didn't know you were such a rebellious spirit, sensei," she said. He shrugged.

"I have a lot of time to think while watching all of you draw."

"Seems like a waste for you to be stuck teaching. Are you just too lazy to put your words to practice or are you not as competent as you seem? 'Those who teach' and all that."

"That's right. I'm just a bumbling fool under all the books," he said. She laughed, mouth open. It was oddly insulting that she could laugh after his semi-heartfelt lecture.

"Better to be a fool who admits his foolishness than one who thinks he knows the world," she said.

"Says the girl who has already decided a book isn't worth reading before reading it." She winced.

"Okay, you got me. I'll give Shakespeare another chance."

"Some of his works are quite good, you know."

"Like what?"

"I'm quite fond of _Othello_. _Titus Andronicus_ is good as well, though very cruel."

"Well, we're reading _Romeo and Juliet_ which is unbearable."

"Most young ladies tend to enjoy that one," he said. He smiled at the annoyed look on her face. He didn't need to complete the jab.

"Do you think I could suggest one of the others to read instead?"

"Why don't you ask to read _Macbeth_ instead? It's another one of his more famous plays."

"Okay," she said dully.

"'Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it.'"

"What's that?"

"A quote from _Macbeth."_

"Hm, I could get with that," she said. He got up from his desk and moved to his bookshelf. He pulled out a book.

"Here." He handed her the worn book, which she accepted with a frown. "Skim through it. You may find it interesting." It was titled _Discipline and Punish._

"Can I keep it?"

"No, you have to return it. That's my only copy."

She opened it and scowled. "Sensei, there are scribbles everywhere. How am I supposed to read this?"

"Real scholars take notes in their books. They'll help you pick out the important parts."

She eyed him warily but slipped the book into her bag. "What about _Macbeth?_ " she asked.

"Ask Handa-sensei for a copy. I'm sure she'll be happy to help." Nosaka rolled her eyes.

"Maybe I'll ask if she's read Foucault too."

Makishima smiled mildly and glanced up at the clock. As entertaining as Nosaka was, he had more important matters to take care of.

"Why don't you head back to the dorms?" he suggested.

"I still have thirty minutes of detention left." She arched a brow.

"I won't tell anyone if you don't."

"What if I get caught?"

"Tell them you're feeling sick, and I let you go."

"I still can't decide if you're lazy or incompetent." She scooped her bag up anyway, smiling crookedly.

"Perhaps both."

Makishima moved to his desk and shooed her off. When she reached the door, she glanced at him over her shoulder with a curious smile. He ignored it mostly.

"Thanks, sensei. I'll read the first chapter of Foucault and let you know what I think tomorrow," she said. He nodded.

"Don't spill anything on it."

She waved over her shoulder and scampered off for the dorms. He was glad that she at least had the decency to shut the door at the end of the hallway quietly.

Makishima hummed softly to himself. The sun hadn't quite set, allowing students to linger outside a little longer. Another girl had gone missing, which had caused the school to bring curfew up another couple of hours. He imagined Nosaka Hotaru was in no danger of the threats that slunk in the shadows, and though he didn't particularly care what happened to her, her death would bring a little less entertainment to his daily life. Lucky for her, she would not be the target of the demon that haunted the school.

Then again, he thought, it would be rather interesting to see how a child like that would react if she were. It didn't really matter which girl it was.

"'Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player\ That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, \ And then is heard no more. It is a tale \ Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, \ Signifying nothing,'" he murmured to himself. The shadow of the tree outside hit his face. He imagined the quiet drip of liquid in the dark, the stillness of a young face who had taken its last breath.

…

…

 **Sources:**

Murry, John Middleton. _Shakespeare_. London: Cape, 1967.


	9. We Scholars

...

...

" _The objective man who no longer scolds or curses as the pessimist does… is certainly one of the most precious instruments there are: but he belongs in the hand of one who is mightier. He is only an instrument, let us say a mirror—he is not an 'end in himself.' … Whatever still remains to him of his 'own person' seems to him accidental, often capricious, more often disturbing: so completely has he become a passage and reflection of forms and events not his own._ (Nietzsche  & Johnston, 2009, pg. 207)."

...

…

 **9\. We Scholars**

Makishima Shogo had found himself in this very pub several times now. It was an odd experience - the mundanity of the pub, the routine of sitting in the same seat with the same person. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been in public with the same person in many years, but as he sat here now, he wondered idly if this is what life could have been if he had been born into a more normal set of circumstances. He might have come to bars like this with pretty women or with friends. He might even have a job with the government. He wasn't sure what aspect of that normality was more ludicrous.

Still, here he was again, seated next to his former student Nosaka Hotaru, and he wondered just how many times he would have to return before she gave him what he was looking for. As she cleaned the meat off of her last skewer, her forehead glistened with a light coat of sweat. The simple combination of ingestion and perspiration reminded him of just how mortal she was, of just how easy it would be to end this by simply slitting her throat in the alleyway.

That would get him nowhere though, and she still had information he wanted. He would be a little more patient, as annoying as it was.

Makishima prided himself in his memory - of people, of ideas, of plans. As soon as Nosaka had appeared in that brief series of frames in Choe's surveillance videos, all of the memories of her as his student had replayed in Makishima's mind - her glassy stare, her mild disdain. He could have zeroed in on her in a crowd of one thousand people, picked out her voice from the masses. She was exactly the same.

It had seemed inevitable that Makishima would find her and pull whatever he needed from her, but it seemed her physical traits were where the familiarity ended, for he was here once again with nothing to show for it. It seemed that while a good debate was always welcome, Nosaka was difficult to pin down in the way he wanted. She had always been content to partake in any topic he suggested, even when she'd been his student, but the real difficulty was embedding the significance of their conversations into her for deeper reflection, for as complex as their conversations could be, she seemed to shed the weight of them almost immediately, absorbing none of it for her own internal catalogue. Students like Oryo Rikako were willful on the surface, but their arrogance made planting contrarian ideas easy. Nosaka had neither ego nor hunger for power, and in that lay the challenge.

It was peculiar. Every person had something they wanted, and in those desires were his opportunities to use them. After meeting with Nosaka a handful of times, he still had no inkling of what her true desires were. Money and influence were of no consequence when her father was such a powerful politician, and even her relationship with him, strained as it was, seemed to be in equilibrium. She had no friends and no enemies and no desire for either. The only motivation in her life seemed to be her work and a general instinct of survival.

However, her work remained an enigma. Choe was a talented hacker, but even he had only been able to find a general title for her in the government directories: _Researcher, Crime Coefficient Analysis and Technology_. She could be doing anything from crunching statistics to designing new weapons for the MWBSP, and despite his subtle prying, Makishima had been unable thus far to glean any real information from her to help clarify this blank space in his data. He remembered her dabblings in robotics as a student and assumed that was the direction she would have chosen. That would imply she was more involved in the technology than the analysis, but still left much to the imagination.

Still, everything about their interactions remained peculiar, and Makishima could not help but wonder if he had involved an ignorant woman who was a slave to coincidence and circumstance. Not once had she reached out to Tsunemori at the MWPSB since he'd made contact, and nothing about her spartan routine had changed. The only shift in her life had been their few meetings for the past three weeks, and he could not decipher whether she danced around his questions as a necessity of her work or as the game he thought they were playing.

Still, he would keep trying, if not for the bits of information he could still possibly find then for his ego which demanded she give into his desires.

"Work was good today I take it?" he said casually, sipping at his beer. She hummed casually.

"Yup. Same old, same old."

"Any new breakthroughs?"

"Hmm, I made some interesting improvements on a project."

"Care to elaborate?"

"You know I can't talk to you about that stuff. It's top secret," she said, laughing. Makishima smiled mildly and her evasion. "How was your day? You're still taking a break from work?"

"Yes. I went gallery hopping today." She grinned.

"You and your art."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. How many depictions of genitalia did you see today?" she said. Makishima suppressed the urge to reach over and flick her in the forehead.

"No genitalia today."

"Really? I was under the impression that all contemporary art dealt with either penises or labia." The chef at the grill shot them a narrow look for her casual vulgarity. She hardly seemed to notice.

"I'm afraid you've been attending the wrong galleries," said Makishima. "I went to a gallery in Minato-ku that's showing a sculpture exhibition. One of them reminded me of a conversation we had when you were a student."

"What conversation?" said Nosaka flippantly. Makishima felt a pang of annoyance as she once again brushed off his prodding.

"About the nature of punishment and freedom." She laughed.

"Did we really talk about that? I can't believe you remember something from so long ago." She smiled at his glare.

"Do you want to hear what the sculpture was about?" he said sourly. She nodded.

"Yes, sorry. Please continue."

"It was a series of sculptures, each depicting a number of rebellions throughout history that have helped shape Japan, events like the Shimabara and Satsuma Rebellion. The individual pieces themselves were unremarkable, but seeing the representations laid out made me reconsider our conversation from back then." Still, Nosaka seemed to be struggling to remember what exactly she and Makishima had spoken about. He sighed inwardly. "About freedom."

She laughed over her beer. "You're so serious, sensei. Do you ever just think about fun stuff?"

"This isn't fun?"

"Of course it is, but only because I like hearing your ranting," she said. Makishima didn't care for her categorization. "Okay, the Shimabara Rebellion - what does that have to do with freedom?"

"You told me once that freedom is a state of mind, which isn't permitted in today's age of technology and criminality," he said. She nodded thoughtfully. "The exhibition made me consider the interpretations of freedom through the years and how society's interpretation of it has changed.

"The Shimabara Rebellion," he continued, "was a fight for religious freedom - or freedom of thought and belief. The Satsuma Rebellion was a fight from the view of the samurai class against the Meiji era changes - freedom of action and freedom to power. Compare those to the major rebellions internationally. The American Revolution, the Chinese Communist Revolution - the revolutions with the greatest legacies and longevity are marked by major shifts in thought and culminations of the current zeitgeist."

"So?" said Nosaka, sipping at her beer. She looked bored, which just fueled Makishima onward.

"That kind of rebellion and push for freedom of thought - could it happen today?"

"No," said Nosaka plainly.

"Why not?"

"Simply from a logistical standpoint, that kind of uprising couldn't happen now. Those movements required collective thought and organized effort, which would be impossible to create now. Sure, there are web communities that gather anonymously at times, but the reason none of them have resulted in anything significant is that there is no zeitgeist. There is no collective thought. The Sibyl System makes it so that there isn't."

"There are fringe groups that are discontent." Nosaka rolled her eyes.

"Those groups can't do anything. The nature of the Sibyl is that the most capable individuals in society are shuttled into affluence. They're propped up and bred to create more affluence. Those of lesser abilities are placed in less than desirable positions, but even if those individuals feel marginalized, their standard of life is significantly better than how it would have been just fifty years ago. Whoever is discontent doesn't have the skills to rally a revolution. If they did, they wouldn't feel discontent."

"You don't think people can see beyond their immediate circumstances?" said Makishima.

"Most people, no, and those that do are labeled as 'latent criminals,' thus delegitimized by society."

Nosaka took a long sip from her beer, and Makishima's heart pounded. This was as close as he had gotten to a real conversation with her. He was painfully aware that the opportunity to do so lay before him once again with this one woman.

"But even if one person rose above their station and managed to organize dissidents, he couldn't create a mass rebellion," said Nosaka suddenly. Makishima arched a brow as she responded to his silent thoughts.

"Oh? Why is that?"

"The way that technology is intertwined with our understanding of self and society makes it impossible for the conditions that lead to rebellion to develop," she said. Her fingers slid up her glass of beer, catching a few drops of condensation as she considered the topic. "The government doesn't rule by policy or regulation. The real power it wields is in the tools that affect our psychology and sense of well-being. So long as it wields control over our mental and emotional capacities, there is no potential for accumulating discontent or questions of 'what should be.'"

Makishima listened carefully, heart racing. Nosaka spoke nonchalantly, flicking away the water from her fingers with bored eyes and a ghost of a smile, as if she had not echoed the mantra that had been repeating in his own mind for years.

"Is this something your department discusses as a part of your work?"

"Not really. I'm sure some people who work in coefficient research consider the repercussions of psycho pass technology, but the numbers justify any ethical gray areas. Crime is nonexistent. Poverty is a thing of the past. Why break something that works?"

Still, she kept that light tone, and Makishima recalled the disdainful teenager seated in his classroom. Just as he had hoped, the girl he had disregarded as a angsty child he had disregarded had more to her than just hormones. The ideas he had planted had finally taken root in one of his students, and now, he was ready to make sure they grew.

Then, she smiled.

"I didn't realize you were such a history buff, sensei. Maybe you should've been our history teacher instead of Touma-sensei," she said.

Makishima's back tensed. Watching her from the corner of his eye, he waited for her to make another insinuation, but she only took a long sip from her beer. She drained it and placed it back down on the bar with a sharp thud, then she looked up and smiled thoughtfully again.

"Anyway, even if the conditions of the past could be replicated, the rebellion would be squashed before anything happened," she concluded.

"Why do you think that?"

"The all-seeing panopticon - assuming one would even build the necessary resentment to develop a rebellious movement, the primary actors would be apprehended before they could even make their first step."

"What if there were enough people that doing so would be impossible?"

"No matter how many people there are, the movement always depends on a charismatic leader. It was Shiro Amakusa or George Washington or Mao Zedong. The legacies of these men kept the thought movements going even after they were gone because of their cult of personality. Without someone like that, the movement dies, and then you just have an angry mob."

"Is such a thing necessary in today's age?" said Makishima. "In a world where anonymity is a valuable commodity, can rebellion occur without infamy?"

"It can if the system can be bypassed."

Makishima's head pounded. "Go on."

"Well, in order to rebel against a system, one must understand it, right? To understand the mechanisms of the system is to know how to maneuver around its loopholes." She grinned. "But of course a system as complex as ours would understand that as well. That's why it has people like me."

"To patch up the holes?"

"Yes, but it's a faulty way of thinking," she said. "You can't give guns to children so they can protect themselves against wolves and not expect them to turn the guns on each other. By developing specific tools to counteract specific types of breaks in the system, we only provide more cracks and holes."

"What kinds of specific breaks?" Her eyes flickered up to his face with a gleam. He wondered if it were from the alcohol or something more.

"Now, you can't really expect me to tell you about that," she said slowly. "That's the kind of stuff I'm not allowed to talk about." Her eyes traced over him with a lazy pace, a light smile stretching across her face. Whether she was aware of their game or not, he still could not be sure. He did not let himself falter.

"I'm not asking for details, just trying to pick your brain about the trajectory of history now. It's a purely academic interest, of course."

"Of course." She chewed on her lip thoughtfully, but Makishima was looking past her, past the bar, past Tokyo. His mind was scanning through every possible tool she could be working on that he could utilize.

She worked specifically for the MWPSB, which meant whatever tools she developed would be used for criminal detection, deterrence, and apprehension. The primary weapons the MWPSB used were devices that identified criminals, so he could assume she worked in that field. What was something that could help normal people bypass detection?

"Do you think rebellion can occur anonymously? Is such a thing possible?" he asked. Her slow grin was more telling than he could have hoped, and he suddenly realized that these beliefs she had declared so casually were the answer he had been looking for.

"I think that that would be the most dangerous kind of rebellion, don't you?"

…

...

This woman was different from the previous. Their pursuit of Oso Academy alumna brought them to the chilly doctor and now to the woman seated in the interrogation room. She picked at her immaculately painted nails, dark red and glossy under the bright light. Her hair was arranged sleekly, skin smooth and powdered. A large diamond glinted on her ring finger. Akane shifted uneasily as she mentally compared herself to this woman. They were the same age, and yet Akane could not help but feel immensely insufficient standing so close to her, even with the glass between them.

Her name was Hashimoto Haruko, daughter of the CEO of one of the country's largest banks. Only twenty-two years old, she had just become engaged to a wealthy zaibatsu heir and was currently planning what the press called the wedding of the year. Even the stoic Kunizuka had been curious enough to steal a glance at the socialite as they'd brought her into the precinct, and as she sat in the drab interrogation room, a few more officers poked their heads in to catch a glimpse of the heiress.

Akane wondered if this were the kind of woman Oso Academy intended to develop - poised, graceful, with a general air of femininity. "Maidenly" was perhaps too archaic of a notion, but if the maidens of olden times were to be brought to modernity, surely a variation of that kind of ideal would be reflected in Hashimoto.

As if to slap away all of Akane's romanticized mental ramblings, the woman let out a large sigh and glared into the glass. Her painted mouth pulled into a scowl.

"Hello? Somebody in there? Can we hurry this up? I have an appointment in an hour."

Akane grimaced at the commandeering tone and glanced up at Kogami, who had also been observing her silently. When they didn't give an immediate answer, Hashimoto crossed her arms with a huff and glared at the opposite wall.

"Should we go in?" said Akane.

"Yeah, I just wanted to gauge her before we engaged. She seems like she only responds to positive reinforcement, so be delicate."

Akane arched a brow and gave him a pointed look. He smiled.

"I meant that as a reminder to myself, of course."

"Of course," said Akane with a small snort.

They continued into the room.

"Hashimoto-san, sorry for the wait. Can we get you anything? Water, tea?"

"I'm fine. Let's get started. This is about Touma-sensei, right?" said the woman.

"I suppose Souma-sensei spoke to you," said Akane disapprovingly.

"She didn't have to. The stuff at Oso was all over the news. That's the only reason you'd ask me to come here." She clacked her nails on the table impatiently. Kogami nodded.

"I guess we can jump right in then. Can we confirm a few details with you first?" She shrugged. "You attended Sakurashimo from 2109 to 2113, correct?"

"Yes."

"And while there, you were in classes 1-B, 2-A, and 3-D, correct?"

"Yes."

"In class 2-A, you were classmates with Souma Emi, and in 2-A and 3-D, you were classmates with Kirino Toko." Akane saw Hashimoto's face soften slightly at the mentioning of Kirino.

"Were you close?" she said softly. Hashimoto gave a quiet sigh, the impatience slipping away for a moment.

"We were in the same group of friends - four of us girls. I was always in homeroom with one of them. Toko-chan was the one who kept us together even when we fought. After she died… well, we graduated and just lost contact with each other."

"It sounds like you're still mourning for her," said Akane. She felt a little more connected to this outwardly intimidating woman.

"Truthfully, I was jealous of her," said Hashimoto with a bitter smile. "She was the prettiest girl in our class, and even though she wasn't the brightest, she was very sweet. It made her really popular in school and with the boys at the nearby boys' school. I always envied her, but at the end of the day, she was one of my best friends."

"It pains me to bring this up, seeing as how deeply you still care for her, but we'd like to ask you about Touma Kozaburo," said Kogami in a deceptively sympathetic voice. Even Akane was fooled for a moment. Hashimoto bristled at the name.

"May he rot in hell," she spat.

"What do you remember about him as a teacher?"

"He was a good teacher - kind, attentive. That's what made it all so disgusting when he did what he did." Hashimoto seethed, anger still fresh. "And to Toko-chan, who was such a good girl… I'll never forgive the school for allowing that monster onto its staff."

"Did he ever show any interest in Kirino-san before the incident?"

"Maybe he smiled at her differently, but it could just be me looking for signs that weren't there. None of us would have suspected him, and none of us would have thought that Toko-chan would end up like that."

"What about Fujiya Nanako? Do you remember anything about her?"

"That didn't make any sense at all," said Hashimoto with a haughty sniff. Kogami arched a brow.

"Why is that?"

"As strange as it sounds, it made sense as to why Touma would target Toko-chan. She was beautiful and popular. Someone twisted like that would of course stalk someone like her. Fujiya-san… she wasn't ugly or anything, but she wasn't beautiful like Toko. She wasn't even that smart. It seemed totally random for Touma to target her."

Akane frowned. Somehow, it seemed ludicrous that a psychotic man like Touma Kozaburo would rationalize his targets using artificial measurements like beauty or popularity. Whatever it was that had drawn Touma to his victims wasn't something that could necessarily be gauged.

"I see. What club were you in, Hashimoto-san?" said Kogami. Both Hashimoto and Akane frowned at his sharp turn.

"Photography," said the socialite slowly.

"With Kirino-san then."

"Yes. Is that important?"

"I'm curious about something. You used analog cameras, yes?"

"Sometimes."

"So you used the dark room in the basement."

"Yes."

"I understand that the rest of the basement beyond the dark room was off limits for the students."

"Yeah, but no one really obeyed that rule," said Hashimoto.

"Really?" said Akane. "Souma-sensei made it sound as if no one ventured down there."

"Well of course she didn't," said Hashimoto with an eye roll. "Emi was always so concerned about the rules. Toko-chan was too, but the rest of us snuck down there all the time."

"Why? What was down there?"

"Nothing. Just a little bit of freedom."

Kogami nodded as something seemed to click into place for him. He stood and Akane followed suit.

"Alright, I think we've used up enough of your time, Hashimoto-san. Thank you again for coming in today." He paused for a moment. "Just out of curiosity, what was Nosaka-san like in school?" He put on a smile that nearly convinced even Akane.

"Why do you ask?"

"A friend of mine started dating her recently so I'm trying to get to know her better," he lied.

"Nosaka is dating someone?" The woman was visibly shocked.

"Why is that so surprising?"

"I don't know. She was just… I didn't think she was interested in that kind of thing," said Hashimoto stiffly.

"How so?"

"She was, you know… a nerd. She was that kid who hung out with the teachers all the time. I don't remember her ever mentioning boys or anything like that."

"Do you remember which teachers?"

"All of them!" said Hashimoto with exasperation. She laughed dryly, humorless. "Isn't that weird? What kind of fifteen year-old wants to spend her lunch with middle-aged teachers? She was a huge suck-up."

Akane frowned. That wasn't the first time she'd heard someone call Nosaka that.

"Nosaka-san said she didn't have many friends," said Kogami.

"Well, who would want to be friends with her?" countered Hashimoto.

Akane hoped she was hiding the horror from her face.

"I see. Well, thank you for your assistance, Hashimoto-san. We'll be in touch," said Kogami dismissively. The woman narrowed her eyes as he and Akane walked out without another word. Akane's neck went hot with soft anger as Hashimoto's words replayed in her head.

As they moved down the hall, Kogami asked, "What did you think?"

"She wasn't very nice," said Akane glumly.

"No, she was pretty awful," agreed Kogami. "What do you think about what she said regarding Nosaka?"

For this, Akane had no immediate reply. She chewed her lip tensely for a moment before saying, "I don't know."

"It is suspicious though."

"Yeah, but… Nosaka-san did tell us that she liked Shibata-sensei - Makishima - before we told her anything. And Hashimoto-san said that Nosaka hung out with all of the teachers. She didn't mention a specific one."

"That's true," said Kogami thoughtfully. "Maybe it's just a sad coincidence. What do you think about Hashimoto's thoughts on Touma?"

"I didn't like the way she categorized Kirino-san and Fujiya-san," said Akane stiffly. "And I doubt Touma attacked them based on their attractiveness."

"No?" said Kogami. Akane frowned. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."

"Why not? You think he cared about how beautiful his victims were?"

"Not in such a straightforward way. After all, he didn't seem to be interested in Hashimoto, who is objectively beautiful physically. Something else must have drawn him to them." He paused thoughtfully. "Have you read through the case reports?" Akane nodded gravely.

"Yes."

"So you saw the five victims."

"Yes."

"Did you notice anything about them? Any similarities?"

Akane thought back to the gruesome images and descriptions of the Specimen Case, of Sasayama Mitsuru's mutilated body. She shivered. "Two were politicians, one of whom was Kirino Toko's father. The third was an unidentifiable woman the government just assumed was an illegal immigrant or undocumented adolescent, the fourth was Fujiya Nanako."

"And the fifth was Sasayama," concluded Kogami. "So what are the connections between them?"

"Hashida Ryoji and Kirino Abele worked together through Kirino's nonprofit organization for at-risk children - an organization that put Touma Kozaburo through school," said Akane.

"Exactly. So we have the relationship determined between Kirino and Touma, and loosely with Hashida, though his exact role still isn't clear. The Jane Doe is also still a mystery, but she is the only one of the four who is not plastinated."

"Do you think he was in a rush?"

"I think she was the first of his victims," said Kogami.

"But she was the third to be found."

"But there were indications of ice burn in her autopsy, which means that she had been placed in a freezer, probably to preserve her after her death. We can take this to mean that maybe Touma was trying to determine what to do with her body after murdering her, or it means that he kept her body for another purpose."

"What other purpose can there be?"

"Sentimentality? A trophy? Often serial killers will keep trophies to symbolize their kills. A famous murderer from the US in the 20th century used to keep the skulls of his victims on a shelf after washing them out with acid. Touma might have been keeping her as a trophy of sorts."

Akane knew exactly which case he was referring, but her horror wasn't softened by the knowledge. "So then the installations he made were a way of displaying those trophies?"

"I think so. My hypothesis is that Touma killed Jane Doe first and then there were two other girls who went missing and were never found. I believe Touma killed these two and Fujiya as practice. The difference is that with Fujiya he was able to master his plastination technique. After figuring out plastination, he then killed Hashida intentionally, followed by Kirino and Sasayama."

"I still don't understand why though," said Akane. "If he was targeting Kirino and Hashida all along, why go after Kirino Toko?"

"Perhaps they knew something about him that Touma didn't want to get out, or maybe he was seeking revenge for something and Kirino Toko was the final piece of that revenge."

"That would make sense. They were all premeditated, after all."

"Perhaps," said Kogami, though he still didn't sound convinced.

They were back at their unit's quarters. The door opened swiftly to reveal Kagari and Karanomori. The young man beamed as they entered.

"Yo. I was just about to come find you," said Kagari, grinning. "You just questioned Hashimoto-hime, right? What was she like?"

"A huge brat, but luckily, she likes to gossip. Gave us some interesting information."

"About the wedding?" said Karanomori with a smirk.

"About the case," said Kogami dully. "How was Nosaka?

"She looks well enough. We didn't get to talk to her though, of course," said Kagari.

"Why not?" asked Akane.

"Kogami said to keep our distance just in case Makishima is watching."

"You think he's found her?"

"We can't know for sure, but it's best to be safe," said Kogami. "She looks okay then?"

"Yeah, same as usual. The woman is a workaholic," said Karanomori. On her panel of monitors, there was monotonous footage of Nosaka coming and going from her apartment and office and doing nothing else. "I've also been going through the records of the hacking at Science and Technology but haven't been able to find anything definite. The hacker has definitely been back since that first breach though."

"Did they take anything?"

"Not that I can see. It looks like they were just snooping through files. I'm still trying to figure out which ones they were looking for, but they covered their tracks well. It will take awhile."

"Okay, stay on that and let us know what turns up," said Kogami.

"Sure thing, sweetie."

"Oh, Tsunemori-san, do you know if Nosaka is a drinker?" asked Kagari.

"Not that I'm aware of. Why?"

"She's been spending a lot of time in a bar on the edge of the civic district."

"A bar?" echoed Akane.

"Yeah, some little izakaya. You know the type."

"What could she be doing there?" asked Akane with a furrowed brow.

"I asked her to go there," said Kogami.

"Why a bar?"

"It's a public, well-lit place but discreet enough for private conversations. It's also not the sort of place any city officials are going to be scoping out regularly but close enough to us. She would feel safe there and Makishima would feel comfortable enough to meet with her."

"You've figured it all out, haven't you?" said Akane suspiciously.

"I've put some thought into it," he said with a shrug. "Have you noticed anyone coming to meet her?"

"There are a bunch of regulars, but no one that's stood out. It's a tiny place, so we can't follow her in without getting noticed," said Kagari.

"Why not wire Nosaka?"

"We tried, but the bar is a private place where a lot of politicians like to go off hours. They have a bunch of blocking devices set up that mess with the frequencies of our equipment."

"Can we send someone in? What about Kunizuka?"

"No, we should assume that Makishima has files on everyone on our team. We'd need some holograph disguises, but if our wires are getting blocked, those would be disrupted too."

"Why would Nosaka choose this bar?" despaired Akane. "She must not realize what's happening. We should get her to go to a different place."

"Let her keep working for now."

"Why? She could be in trouble."

"If Makishima has indeed made contact with her, which we must assume, he's not going to kill her in the bar, and he only kills people after they've fulfilled a purpose for him. Nosaka hasn't done anything for him yet."

"He could kill her to cover his tracks."

"True, but that would draw unwanted attention to himself. He's going to keep himself hidden as long as he can until he has something he can use against us."

"You don't think he'd kill her just to hurt us?"

"He's already shown that he can. He's sadistic, but he's not careless or redundant. If he kills her, it will be because he's gotten what he wanted and needs to hide his tracks."

"Then why did he kill Yuki? She didn't do anything," said Akane harshly. She flushed at the bitterness of her voice, and Kogami gave her that long expression that hinted at pity.

"He used Yuki to get a measure of you. He doesn't need to do it again," he said slowly, surely. Akane's lips pulled and she said nothing else.

"Well, either way, we should try to find a way to get in there with her," said Kagari. "We have to assume he has a vague idea of what she's working on and that she's cooperating with us. He could try to use her to get into the technology building."

"It shouldn't be a problem."

"Why not?"

"I had Nosaka come up with a contingency plan in the case that Makishima did exactly that." Akane glared. "In fact, I'm kind of hoping he does so we can get him to come out of his hiding spot."

"You're planning to trap him?"

"Maybe. We'll see if he takes the bait."

"Is there anything else you'd like to tell us or do you want to keep everything else secret?" she said sourly.

"That's it," said Kogami impassively. Akane eyed him then looked to Kagari.

"Let's get people set up around the bar. Even if we can't go in, we can keep track of who is coming and going."

"Aye aye," said Karanomori with a salute before diving back into her computer. Akane turned for her desk, feeling deeply troubled by Kogami's secretive nonchalance. She thought she'd earned his trust at this point, but apparently he still was determined to work this case alone. Gut churning at the thought, Akane prayed that Nosaka did not end up like poor Yuki. She had to get to Makishima before he got the best of them again.

...

 **A/N:** Blah, blah, blah. It was very rambling.

 **Sources:**

Nietzsche, F., & Johnston, I. (2009). _Beyond Good and Evil_ _: Prelude to a Future Philosophy_. Arlington, VA: Richer Resources Publications.


	10. Memory 21091021

**Memory 21091021**

While most fall terms were fast and loud, this October had been silent. It was the kind of silence that fills a room, that makes a student hold her breath with fear and dread. One more girl had gone missing, and there were no indications of who could have taken her. It now only seemed a matter of time before another girl disappeared.

And yet time continued onward with classes and club meetings running as usual. Shibata Yukimori walked down the hallway at the end of a particularly normal day, admiring the reddening leaves outside. Little did the school know that the serene art teacher was one of three people who was aware of where Fujiya Nanako of Class 2-A went. He was one of three people to know for a fact that she had not gone anywhere. In fact, her body was still here in the school, two levels below ground in a bunker that had been constructed to keep the students safe. The irony was laughable.

Turning into his classroom, Shibata was mildly surprised to see that none of the students assigned to cleanup duty were there. The floor had been swept, and the desks were clean, but only one girl stood at the blackboard. He frowned as he saw that it was covered in writing.

 _Brownnosing Bitch! Teacher's Slut!_

Insults scratched across the blackboard, large and loud. Even Makishima/Shibata felt a strange pang in his gut at the words, if not for the words themselves but the sentiment with which they had been written. As stupid as they were, he imagined the girls who had written them did so vindictively, yet Nosaka seemed unaffected as she continued wiping the words away.

"Where are your classmates?" he asked.

"They left," she said casually.

"Aren't there at least three of you on cleanup duty?" She shrugged.

"I didn't want them here anyway," she said.

Makishima watched her suspiciously, though she hardly seemed to mind. The water of her sponge trickled down the blackboard steadily in a way that made his chest tighten with anxiety. The words bled down the surface with soapy streaks.

It was common knowledge among the faculty that Nosaka Hotaru was a black sheep in her class. Outwardly, there was nothing about her that would hint to why she drew so much acidity from her classmates. She was neither the prettiest nor the ugliest of her peers, and while she did well academically, she was apathetic enough to not draw attention as a star student. All in all, she seemed rather forgettable, even to the teachers.

It happened with every school - the favorites, the rejects. Makishima himself had fallen into the background during his childhood and watched while students he knew to be dumber and less capable succeed and catch the attention of the people above them. There were rules to society, particularly in a school such as this, and Nosaka did not fit into them, and for that, she became the target of her classmates' disdain.

As Nosaka cleaned, Makishima watched her silently. There was a colorless quality to her, a glassy look that always covered her face like a thin film. Her eyes rarely seemed focused on what she was supposed to be doing, but when something caught her attention, the harsh focus of her gaze was jarring. Even as Makishima spoke to her, she did not look at him directly, and he wondered if she was deep in thought or not thinking at all.

"Do you have any friends, Nosaka?" he asked bluntly, moving to his desk.

"Kind of."

"Kind of?" he echoed. Again, she shrugged.

"Kind of." She didn't say it with the resentment or regret of a lonely student. It barely seemed more unusual than if he had asked her opinion on the weather today.

He waited as she continued cleaning the blackboard. Most people would squirm under the gaze of a superior's scrutiny - even he had felt anxious in the presence of teachers as a child - but she hardly seemed to notice he was there at all. Her arms moved in a steady motion, like the meditative movements of an ascetic in the mountains.

Makishima sighed and looked away from the pendulum of her arms, setting his books on his desk. She bent down to soak her rag one more time to wipe away the last of the chalk. He supposed he could help her, but somehow, it didn't seem important to her whether he noticed or not. She squeezed out the last of the dirty water just as he settled into his seat. She nudged the bucket towards the door before pulling one of the desks directly in front of his and hopping right on top. He felt that strange, disarming light on him again.

The smile on her face was not one of a bullied student, and as he looked at her, he realized she smiled with intention, knowing that it was the expression she should make. He narrowed his eyes at her for a moment and wondered if she were oblivious or apathetic.

"Do you have friends, sensei?" she asked. The question surprised him in its sincerity.

"No, not really," he said honestly. She nodded as if that were the most reasonable response.

"It's because you're abrasive." Makishima arched a brow at her bluntness. He never would have guessed that she was this rude.

"You shouldn't speak to teachers like that," he said.

"What are you doing to do, put me in detention?" she scoffed, though she remained smiling.

"Do you ever consider that perhaps this negative attitude is why you don't get along with your classmates?" Makishima didn't believe in his own accusation, but he wanted to see how Nosaka would react to it. To his satisfaction, she arched a brow.

"I'd say I have the negative attitude because my classmates are all idiots," she countered.

"You don't think you have a natural inclination towards negativity?"

"Who can say? I know for certain though that becoming a positive person was impossible in my circumstances," she said with a shrug. Makishima smiled.

"Oh? Your life is so difficult that you were bound to become sour?"

"Not difficult, just stupid."

"So if it weren't so stupid, would you have developed into someone different?"

Nosaka swung her legs childishly as she thought through his question. "No, maybe not. Maybe if I were dumber but in the same situation, I'd have been different. What about you, sensei? Would you teach a more interesting subject if your circumstances had been different?"

"What do you mean, 'a more interesting subject?'" said Makishima with a dull look.

"You know, like science or something."

"Who says I'd be a teacher?" She grinned.

"Oh yeah, I guess you could've been like an architect or something."

"Why an architect?" She shrugged.

"Seems like an interesting career. Definitely cooler than teaching."

"Do you always try to provoke the people around you?"

"Sometimes. Makes things more interesting," she said casually. This, he could agree with.

"Why is that?"

"It shows a lot about a person - how far they're willing to be mocked, what they do when they snap."

"And what kind of meaning do you glean from that information?"

"I don't know. I don't think about that."

"Why not?"

"It's not really important to me," she said, craning her neck to look outside. Her legs still swung from the desk.

"I'd have thought that reading Foucault would make you start thinking about these things," he said. Surprisingly, he was much more disappointed in the lack of impact the book he'd lent her had had on her thinking.

But she perked up at his reminder. "Oh yeah, I meant to talk to you about that. I read through the book."

"The entire thing?" said Makishima, surprised again.

"Yeah, but it didn't make as much sense to me as I wanted, so I'm reading through it again," she said. Makishima was impressed, despite himself.

"Is there anything in it you found interesting?"

"The general history of public punishment evolving into incarceration."

"What about it?" Makishima leaned against his desk, directly in front of her.

"I think his argument is flawed." He waited for her to continue, heart racing at the suddenly clear and sharp way she spoke. Her pale eyes were wide. "The exertion of power over society through technology and social structure was not a novel mechanism; just the means were novel."

"In what way?"

"I'd say that the use of religion and spirituality was originally the means by which the powerful exerted their control over the proletariat. Kings and emperors tied themselves to divine law in order to give themselves legitimacy in shaping the thought structure in their communities. As society advanced, that source of control transferred steadily over to technology. It doesn't matter which one holds power over society; both are fetishized."

"Ah, but surely it's not so straightforward as that. Religion and science are very different entities. You'd be the first to admit that," said Makishima.

"Yeah, but those who wield the two as a weapon are not so different. Extremist priests and doomsayers in lab coats are just the same men in different robes."

"So then the punitive system beneath both powers are the same?"

"I'd say yes," said Nosaka.

"I was unaware that we hold public executions in 22nd century Tokyo," said Makishima with an arched brow. She scowled.

"The form of punishment isn't the same, but the mechanisms are similar to feudal era execution and torture today, if not more similar than to the prison system of the 20th and 21st centuries."

"Interesting. Continue."

"In the 21st century, the trial and punishment of criminals was different and novel from the old ritualistic imprisonment and torture of the 17th century and prior," argued Nosaka. "The ritual of torture, confession, and public punishment was overhauled for the penitentiary system. It became less about righting wrongs and more about preventing future crimes."

"Isn't that exactly what the Sibyl System does now - prevent crimes?"

"But there is no economy of delinquency or criminality now. In the penitentiary system, the force of labor was used to exert power over the criminal regularly, and his free labor was used to push forward society that he had wronged. In the 17th century, punishment was a ritual, one that was supposed to correct the wrong that was done - an eye for an eye - and the public nature of it provided the rest of society a scapegoat or a totem to condemn as a means of strengthening the legitimacy of the law. I think the Sibyl System is much more in this realm than it is to the penitentiary system."

"So you think that the Soul of mankind simply responds to the tools it's given in a limited range and does not necessarily evolve with its technological advancements."

"Yes," concluded Nosaka.

"I acknowledge your argument and the thought you've put into this. You've read more into the book than I'd expected," said Makishima, genuinely pleased. "But I think you've overlooked a major variable in your argument." She frowned. "What about the Free man?"

"The Free man?"

"The man who is not within the penal system - the man who acts around it or even outside of it. Isn't there a vast difference between the Free man of the 17th century and the man of today?" he said.

Nosaka frowned thoughtfully then opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by a knock.

"Excuse me."

They both turned to see a girl with long black hair standing in the door - one of the more beautiful girls in the school. Makishima smiled.

"Kirino-san. What can I do for you?" he asked, abandoning Nosaka at the window to walk towards the newcomer.

"I was wondering if I could borrow some chalk," she asked.

"What's it for?" asked Makishima.

"The Photography Club is planning its showcase for the Cultural Festival, and the room ran out." Makishima noted the European blood in the girl's light eyes and her shy mannerisms. He did not miss the cool look Nosaka shot them from the window or the way Kirino's eyes darted nervously at the now clean chalkboard that had held such harsh words just ten minutes prior.

"What are you all thinking of doing?" he asked. Despite having her in class, Makishima had never held a true conversation with the target of his accomplice's affections. So far, he decided that she was very pretty but otherwise unremarkable. What a curse this girl had been given, simply because she was beautiful.

"We'll probably do a gallery set-up in the lobby," said Kirino, smiling delightedly. "We have a lot of prospective members already, so I want us to have a good showing."

"That sounds great. I look forward to seeing it," said Makishima. He reached for the chalk, deciding for certain that Kirino Toko was not interesting enough to keep his attention. She accepted it with a polite bow, and before leaving, she shot Nosaka a wary glance. Nosaka met it with indifference, and Kirino hurried away. Makishima smiled after her with amusement.

"What's with that look?" he asked.

"She's boring," said Nosaka dully, looking out the window again. He wondered if she had read his own boredom in his face.

"You're not interested in photography?" he asked, moving back towards her again.

"Photography is for people incapable of making their own things, so they have to document other people's things," she said.

"Those are some strong words," he said, grinning. "You're not interested in seeing their gallery?"

"I'm not interested in photos of flowers."

"Why don't you put your work on display?"

"The Robotics Club doesn't get a place at the Cultural Festival."

"There is no Robotics Club."

"Exactly."

Makishima smiled at her pout and said, "You didn't want to start a club?"

"The school wouldn't let me," she said. "'Ladies' don't build robots."

It was neither the first nor the last time he had heard a student speak of the tenets of ladyhood, but it was the first time Nosaka had mentioned such derision for the school's philosophies. He noted that she was not as transparent as he had been led to believe.

"Oh," she mumbled. Makishima walked to the window to see a black car parking outside the school. Two men stepped out from either side. The brunette had his hair cut short to his scalp, dressed in a disheveled dark suit. The other had black hair and a quiet sharpness that gave Makishima pause.

"Wow, he's really handsome," marveled Nosaka. Makishima glanced over with mild surprise to see her now smiling, and he realized they were both thinking about the same man. "He can't possibly be a parent."

"He looks like a cop," said Makishima. He narrowed his eyes and memorized the faces of both men as they disappeared into the building. He would have Choe extract their images from the security cameras for research later.

"Oh yeah, Fujiya-san went missing," said Nosaka. Makishima arched a brow at her nonchalance. "They look pretty young."

"I'm sure they are."

"Young enough for me?" she asked, grinning up at him.

"Since when are you so boy-crazy?" he asked dryly.

"I'm not. I'm man-crazy," she said, leaning against the window sill. "I'll be eighteen next year. I could start planting the seed now so I'll have a running start once I graduate."

"Even from you, that's a disgusting thing to say," said Makishima.

"Isn't that the sort of thing you like?" she asked with a grin. Makishima felt a loud thrum in his gut at the accuracy of her retort, but before he could respond, she got up with a little hop. "I'm going back to the dorms. See you later, sensei."

"Leave the police alone," called Makishima after her. She waved over her shoulder lazily, but just as she was about to leave, she paused. Makishima waited as she seemed to consider something.

"Sensei, about the Free man," she said. He nodded as she rolled the ideas around in her head. "I think you're right in that I didn't consider him as a variable. I'll think through it some more with him in mind. But I don't think there is such a thing as the Free man in today's age. He isn't allowed to exist."

Makishima frowned. The interruption by Kirino had erased the conversation from his mind, but she had evidently continued thinking about it, even through the inanity. Truthfully, it hadn't seemed worth his retention, as he was uninterested in the angst-driven pseudo-intellectualism of teenagers, but he agreed with her new statement. She was surprising him repeatedly today.

"What's your definition of freedom?" he asked.

"I think freedom is being permitted to act according to one's own will and thinking whatever one wants, no matter how horrendous or irrational. I think freedom is a state of mind."

In his chest, Makishima's heart pounded. All he could feel was his heartbeat and the inhale and exhale of his lungs. Then Nosaka glanced over her shoulder and smiled.

"Anyway, I'm still not too interested in art or photography, but thanks for trying, sensei. See you tomorrow."

She was gone, and that silence that had held the school in its grasp filled the room again. Makishima considered the strange student - her apathy, her smugness. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that she was like him, though that seemed insulting to one of them. He wasn't sure to whom. Either way, he had another year with her, this odd, friendless girl. Perhaps she could be of use to him later, but not now.

Recalling her inappropriate joke, Makishima glanced out the window again. The black car remained parked outside with the two officers out of sight. They were surely speaking to the principal and perhaps examining Fujiya's dorm room once again. Though they would find nothing, Makishima still felt that excited bubble in his stomach at the thought of them so close. They had no idea what kinds of monsters lurked in this school, in the tunnels below. Even Makishima was surprised at what Touma had begun to construct. When the rest of the world saw, he knew he could declare it as "art," for it would shock the country with its brutality, its violence. As far as Makishima knew, it was the most radical act of art he could imagine, even if Touma did not see it as such.

And even after Touma was expended, Makishima would continue to push that boundary until even the most blinded had to see the restraints placed on them. He would open the eyes of the world to how low humanity could sink. He would make them see the splendor of their own Souls.

…

...

 **Disclaimer:** It may seem obvious, but I want to make clear that the characters' opinions are not my own. Please don't message me about them.


End file.
